End of the Line
by ShadowShuriken
Summary: After two years of relative peace, somethings have changed and somethings have stayed the same. But soon both magic and science will be threatened by a new enemy. Of course, they turn to the one person who's ability has saved them both again and again. But will our Hero's bad luck finally catch up to him and spell his end?
1. Chapter 0: Prologue

Chapter 0: Prologue

**HEY EVERYBODY! Shadow Shuriken here! This is my first fan fic, so I hope you don't mind my inexperience ;P, lol. I've had this idea for the longest time and decided it was time to finally get it off my chest! YAY! Anyways, I know this chapter is really short but please bear in mind that this is only the Prologue (with some late story stuff for you to look forward to ^_^). Please leave a review and PM me if you have some ideas for the story (All ears here! please nothing dumb or crazy like "Touma has XXX with Mikoto and they have kids" 'n stuff like that). Rated T for graphic scenes, deaths, and language.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Toaru. If I did, this would be a manga and not a fanfic.**

**So, without further ado, I give you the first chapter of END OF THE LINE**

* * *

_Somewhere in school district 23..._

...

_...Where...am...I?_

..._.._

..._.Moon...stars? ... Why... am I... looking...?_

_I'm... Lying...down...?_

..._._

... _Light...orange...Fire?_

_Why...is there...fire?_

_Must... Get... Up..._

..._.. can't ... feel ... right ... Arm..._

_So...weak..._

..._._

_Left... Hand... Wet ... Red..._

_Blood?... Chest ... Wet... too?  
_

...

_...so...tired..._

...

_Hair... Brown..._

"Mi- ***Cough*** -koto…?"

"YOU IDIOT! WHY!? WHY DID YOU DO THAT!? YOU'RE HURT! YOU'RE BLEEDING! THAT THING THREW YOU LIKE A RAG DOLL! YOU IDIOT, WHY!?"

"Heh...I'm sor-** *Cough Cough** **HAKK!***"

"OMYGOSH! You're coughing up blood. YOU'RE COUGHING UP BLOO- Wait...Your arm...Where is your arm? MY GOD YOUR ARM IS MISSING! THERE'S SO MUCH BLOOD! IT'S EVERYWHERE! IT'S COMING OUT OF YOUR SHOULDER AND CHE-...Your chest...Why is there blood coming from your chest? Wait, what is th- ***Gasp*** Th-th-th-there's... a hole. There's a hole. Touma, there is a friggin hole in your chest. A FREAKING HOLE IN YOUR GODDAMN CHEST!"

"haa... You're... hurting... my ears. . . . Haa..."

"You idiot, how can you smile at a time like this?"

**Slowed speech, Irregular breathing gone** "I... don't think...I'll make it... But...I'm happy...you're with me...in the end...so...cold... and. . . dark. . . . . . cold..."

"Touma? What do you mean 'make it'? What are you talking about? Touma?"

". . .so. . . . . .cold. . ."

"Touma? That's not funny. Answer me Touma!"

...

"Touma? ***Sniff*** Touma? Talk to me Touma."

...

"_Oh God please no..._"

...

"Touma! Don't leave me! Don't leave me here alone! ***SOB*** Touma... Please don't die... There's so much, so many things, I still need to say to you. ***Sniff*** Don't die... Touma, answer me."

**silence**

"No... No, it can't be... No! I wanted to say something! ***SOB*** I WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING TO YOU!...I...l-love...I love you... but...You'll never hear it... Oh Touma, I'm so sorry. ***SOB*** _ TOUMAAAAAAA!_"

* * *

3 Months Ago...

"TOUMAAAA!" The exclamation came from a certain Level 5, who was chasing a certain Level 0 through the streets of Academy City's School District 7.

"Oi, Biribiri! Why should I get zapped for your confession!? I didn't turn you down did I!?" Cried Touma Kamijou while he cursed his luck, or rather his lack thereof.

"Shut up! I did not confess anything! And I am not some bug zapper: my name is MIKOTO MISAKA!" Yelled the Railgun as she threw another 1,000,000 volts of esper power at him.

"OW! WHY ME!? THERE ARE PLENTY OF BETTER LOOKING GUYS IN THE CITY! OUCH! SUCH MISFORTUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNE!"

The lamenting of a certain spiky haired highschool student echoed throughout the City of Science, unawares of the events to come...

* * *

**Well, there you have it: the first chapter of my first fan fic! Hoped you enjoyed! As always, leave a much appreciated review! Thanks! I'll try to update as soon as possible!**

**-Shadow Shuriken.**


	2. Chapter 1: Just another day

Chapter 1: Just Another Day

**I'M BAAAAACK! lol, I had some fun with the prologue, and I even got some reviews! GAH! IM SO GIDDY WITH EXCITEMENT! Anyhow, I'm still working on my skill as a writer, so I can't promise an amazing chapter like what Wongoli and other big shots do, but I'll try my best! Some interesting things will happen this chapter. I'm also wondering if I should make some minor changes to the prologue... But enough of that. Time to write!**

**NOTE: I own Toaru as much as Touma has esper powers**

* * *

Touma sighed. Leave it to a certain electric ojou-sama to ruin what should have been a perfectly good day. But, given the power in his right hand and subsequent misfortune, it was no surprise that something had gone awry. Still, how had it some to this? Today had begun beautifully, with him alone in his dorm and awake before his obnoxious alarm had gone off. One satisfying breakfast later, he was out the door to enjoy the beginning of a completely homework free weekend. How could it go wrong?

It had been two years. Two years since the Roman Catholic Church had been eliminated as a major power in the magic world (no small thanks to a campaign by Necessarius and a certain Imagine Breaker), reducing a bulk of the attacks by magicians on Academy City and, more importantly, allowing Index to return to England.

With Index gone and many of his days peaceful, he was able to relax and catch up on his studies. Of course, there was the occasional rogue magician or esper that Tsuchimikado had called in for Touma to defeat. But other than that, most of his days were citywide-crisis-free. This in turn allowed the once failing student to catch up on his grades, much to the chagrin of his fellow Delta Force members.

"What! Kami-yan here has been passing exams!?" Tsuchimikado exclaimed.

"Ha! That's the least of it," Aogami Peirce moaned, "Kamojou here just got a 'B' on the last test!"

"What!? Seriously Kami-yan, we're _The Three Idiots_ not _The Three Brainiacs_! Are you trying to make us look like nerds? We have a reputation to keep, nya~"

"Yeah Kamijou! Being dumb is better 'cause we get to have remedial classes with cute little Komoe Sensei!"

Touma facepalmed.

"Two things: one, you're a pervert. Two, Just because I'm not mathematically talented doesn't mean I'm not smart," Touma explained, exasperated by the two.

And he was right. He wasn't stupid or dumb, far from it in fact (one does not simply survive World War III without a good amount of intelligence); he simply never had the time or the energy to study or do his homework. Usually, those resources went into either feeding a ravenous nun with a black hole stomach, or lying broken on a hospital bed trying not to fall apart any further.

But with the lack of attacks and a certain nun, Kamijou was spending less time in his reserved room in the hospital and more time with his nose in a math textbook.

"Look, as much as I would love to slack off and hang out with you guys, I still want to graduate next year. If I don't start picking up my grades, I can kiss goodbye to college!"

And so began his crusade against the great monstrosity that was known as homework. Little by little, Touma forced his way up the mountain of math, science, and language arts. Two years later, after 682 cups of coffee, 839 mugs of tea, and about 60 or so all-nighters, Touma's weekends were mostly free of remedial classes and power-hungry people who wanted to see Academy City wiped off the face of the planet.

Why should today have been any different?

* * *

_Ten minutes ago, At a certain vending machine..._

"Oh, hey Biri biri! It's been awhile..." It had been several weeks since Touma had last seen the Electromaster before locking himself in his apartment to deal with homework.

"'Hey'!? That's all you have to say to me!? I don't see you for almost a month and suddenly you appear out of nowhere! Where have you been!? Don't tell me some mag-"

"Relax, I just had a lot of homework. Nothing big happened. And why are you so worried about me?"

"I-I'm not c-c-concerned or anything," Mikoto stuttered, "I was just...curious. Y-yeah, that's right. I was just curious!"

"You okay there Biri biri? You look kind of red."

"W-WHAT!? I am not! And stop calling me that! I have a name you know..."

"Haha! Okay, **M****ikoto**," The boy said, stressing her name, "what are you doing here in the morning?"

Mikoto blushed harder. She couldn't tell this Idiot that she had been coming here every weekend just to see him...

GAH!

What was she thinking! She absolutely, positively, was NOT here for that Idiot! But that didn't change the fact that she had still come every week... could it be true? Was she really...

"...in love with you..."

"what?"

_OH SH- DID I JUST SAY THAT ALOUD?! _Mikoto panicked.

"Wow. Uh... Well, I'm flattered and all..."

_CRAP HE HEARD ME! _

"I-I didn't say anything!" Mikoto blabbered "Wow, it's a nice day toda-"

"You don't have to be embarrassed about it, really. I mean, I alre- hey are you okay?"

By this point, the Railgun was beet red with sparks flying off her.

"I. DIDN'T. SAY. ANYTHING!" She screamed as she threw a bolt of lightning at the unfortunate boy.

* * *

_Present time, District 7_

"Reduced to hiding in a alley behind a dumpster by an underclassmen. Such misfortune..." Touma sighed.

It really was a humiliating situation. True, he should have probably given her a call, but the last time he had invited her over to his home his wall charger had mysteriously overloaded and broke. It was an unfortunate event because he didn't have the time to go buy a new one: he had spent every waking hour outside of class studying, refusing to step out for lunch and going straight home after school.

Even if they both went to the same school now, she was still two grades below him. There would be no chance to meet her unless one of them had specifically gone out of their way to see the other, and even that was a rarity.

So, due to unfortunate circumstances, Touma Kamijou was now hiding in a smelly alley from his close, albeit somewhat violent, friend.

Touma peeked out from behind the garbage bin.

_Looks like I lost her, _Touma thought. _Now to sneak out..._

The boy stepped out from his hiding spot, looking around him. The Railgun was nowhere to be seen.

Touma let out a sigh of relief and began walking forward. The alley was dark, and his eyes never registered the banana peel underneath his foot.

He slipped and fell backward, falling against the dumpster. Now, that wouldn't have been much of a problem, had the said dumpster not been largely empty.

There was a loud "CRASH!" as the metal container slammed into the adjacent wall. less then five seconds later, the Electromaster ran into the alley.

"HA! FOUND YOU! NOW GET OVER HERE!"

The unfortunate boy scrambled to his feet and ran through the alley, yelling the only thing that coursed though his mind:

"SUCH MISFORTUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNE!"

* * *

_A Certain teleporter's dorm room_

"Onee-sama, it's so lonely without you!" Kuroko cried out. The judgement member sat alone in her room, one that was shared with Mikoto Misaka until about a year and a half ago when she graduated. Her current roommate was out doing shopping or something, not that she cared though. Her heart beat for only for her precious Onee-sama and no one else.

_And to think that she went to the school with that infernal ape! Argh! He is tainting my precious Onee-sama's pure heart! I should be the one to hold that oh-so-dear place in the center of her heart! Oh Onee-sama, how I miss your heavenly aroma, your maturing bosom, your electric whip of_ _love~!_ Kuroko could go on forever about her endless love for her senpai, but that would do get her nowhere in terms of winning over her precious onee-sama.

Shirai stood up and looked out the window. It was a beautiful day outside, one that shouldn't be wasted by moping around inside a dorm. Maybe a walk around the park would ease her stress, maybe even help her cook up some plan to win the heart of Mikoto Misaka. The level 4 teleporter closed her eyes, ran some calculations, and disappeared...

...Appearing in the middle of a park in district 7. Kuroko collapsed onto her knees and gasped for air. She stared at the ground for a few seconds, then shook her head. No, she couldn't heard anything when she had teleported. It was impossible; the time it took for her to shift through space from one point to another was too fast for her to hear those..._ voices_. She was sure that she hadn't teleported audio waves with her, but still... No, it must have been her imagination. Yes! It was just imagination and nothing else!

Shirai took a deep breath and stood up. Today was too good a day to let something so small bother her. She looked around and couldn't believe her luck! There was her Beloved Onee-sama coming around the corner right now! Wait, what was the miserable ape doing with her! Why was she talking to him in such a friendly way? Walking together in the park... talking together... laughing... Wait, was her Onee-sama blushing?! This couldn't be...

A DATE!?

Kuroko ran as fast as she could toward the two, mentally preparing a kick for the lowly troglodyte that even dared to be in her Onee-sama's presence...

Mikoto blushed. After cornering Touma and trying to electrocute him repeatedly (to no avail, no doubt because of his right hand), the boy had explained everything to her about his lack of communication and presence around the school. Now she felt silly for being worried about him, and luckily the chase seemed to make him forget about her little slip of the tongue. And now she was walking through the park with him, as if nothing had happened.

"...and that was how it happened. Yomikawa-sensei got Accelerator to join our school at the beginning of this semester. I'm surprised you didn't hear about it." Touma was going on.

"Oh, wow. Accelerator? At our school? I'm not sure how I feel about that..."

"Oh don't worry, he's not that bad. He's in the class next to mine, and he hangs out with me, Pierce, and Tsuchi- MMMMFFFFFFFTT!" Touma was cut off by a shoe burying itself in his face.

"What the heck?! KUROKO?!" Misaka exclaimed.

The teleporter pushed off her target and landed on the ground, leaving Touma to fall flat on his back.

"How dare you taint Onee-sama's aura with your presence! She is a perfect model, and I not allow a lowly ape like you to ruin her!"

"Kuroko..." Sparks were beginning to fly from Mikoto's hairpieces.

The young girl turned to face the object of her obsession. "OH HOW I MISSED YOU ONEE-SAMA! ALLOW ME TO CARESS YOUR SWEET BODY IN MY-"

"**KNOCK IT OF!**" The Electromaster finally snapped and shot millions of volts through the aburn-haired middle school student.

"OH! Onee-sama's electric whip of love~! How I missed it~!"

"SHUT UP!"

Touma sweat dropped at the sight of Shirai being turned into a living piece of charcoal. Was this really how an ojou-sama was supposed to act? Then again, Mikoto was no ordinary ojou-sama. Misaka, satisfied with her work, turned back to Touma.

"Oh! I just remembered, Kazari and Saten invited me to Joseph's for lunch. Wanna join us?"

"Uhh... sure." Touma agreed. Not only would he have liked to not have to prepare a meal, but he was also afraid of her reaction if he refused.

The two made their way to district 15, leaving behind Kuroko on the ground.

* * *

_District 15, Joseph's Coffee and R__estaurant_

The two walked through the doors of the popular establishment. It was 11:45 sharp and there was already a small line to the receptionist's desk. As the two got in line, Touma heard the door open behind them and a voice that was similar to Mikoto's but much higher pitched speak out.

"'Oh no, there's a line! Now it will take forever to get food!' Misaka says as Misaka looks at the line of people standing in the way of Misaka's meal"

"Quit complaining, you little brat! Just wait a little. It's not like you're gonna die of hunger."

Touma and Mikoto turned around and their eyes were met with a sight neither of them expected to see.

"Last Order!" cried Mikoto as she bent down to hug her 'youngest' sister.

"Accelerator!" cried Touma as he greeted his enemy turned friend.

"Tsch, What the fuck are you doing here with the third rate, friggin Hero." Returned the white-haired boy.

"'Onee-chan!' exclaims Misaka as Misaka is enveloped by Onee-chan's loving arms."

"Hello Last Order! How are you?"

"'This Misaka is hungry!' says Misaka as Misaka's stomach growls"

"Oh, is that so? Why don't you eat with us then?"

"'Misaka would enjoy that very much! Also, Onee-chan's breasts are bigger.' Says Misaka as Misaka leans against Onee-chan's chest that is now much softer than last time."

Mikoto's face reddened. "Oh! Well, ah... I guess your onee-chan is growing up!" Mikoto knew Last Order didn't mean anything by saying what she did, but it was still embarrassing...

Touma chuckled at the two sister's exchange and turned back to Accelerator. "We're here to meet up with some friends for lunch, wanna join?"

"uh..."

"'OhPleaseOhPleaseOhPlease!' begs Misaka as Misaka does her best to do make Bambi eyes, hoping to sway things in Misaka's favor."

"***Sigh*** Fine," Accelerator answered. He would never admit it, but he could never say no to the brat when she made that face.

"'Yay! Misaka can spend time with Onee-chan!' exclaims Misaka as Misaka is overjoyed at Accelerator's decision and slightly smug that her charm worked."

"Haha! You're a cheeky one aren't you?" Giggle Mikoto. Her little sister was so cute~!

It was their turn to be seated, and they were set at a small table for six. Shortly after getting her hands on a menu, Last Order was begging Accelerator to order all the desserts, with the latter adamant that it wasn't going to happen. Mikoto smiled inwardly. As much as Accelerator was a grumpy, temperamental, and slightly psychotic person, he had the heart to care for the little clone. Maybe Touma was right, he might not so bad.

"Hey, looks like your friends are here," Touma said. He stood up.

"Saten! Kazari! Over here!" He waved them over.

The two girls sat down, Saten next to Accelerator and Kazari next to Mikoto.

"Hello Misaka, hello Kamijou. We weren't expecting extra people, but it should be fine! Who are your friends?" asked Uiharu.

"Yeah, who's Mr. choker and Ms. shorty?" Rukio butted in.

"This here is my... little sister. And the guy is Accelerator." Answered Mikoto.

"Accelerator? What kind of name is that?"

"Saten! Don't be rude!"

"It's ok, he gets that a lot," Touma answered. "He's my classmate and also looking after little Misaka here. Oh, and he's the number 1 Level 5 esper in Academy City."

The two girls froze at Touma's last words. Rukio in particular almost fainted when she realized who she was sitting next to.

"no way..." she whispered.

Accelerator turned from a complaining Last Order to face the girls.

"Hi."

* * *

**And that's it for this chapter. Just so people don't get confused, each school district contains specific parts of the city, e.g. District 7 is where schools and dormitories are, and District 15 is where stores are located, including the massive underground mall. As for Accelerator, well, let's just say I put Rukio next to him for a reason. I'll leave the rest up to your imagination for now XD. Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, even though not much happened. I promise to progress the story a little more in later chapters, but for now I'm still laying down the groundwork for the characters. Speaking of characters, who do you think was speaking to Kuroko when she teleported? You'll have to keep guessing until at least chapter 3, coz there's still more fun stuff to come! As always, please leave much appreciated review and PM me if you have ideas for the story.**

**-Shadow Shuriken **


	3. Chapter 2: Just another day, Part 2

Chapter 2: Just Another Day, part 2

**WHAT'S UP GUYS! Shadow here, back with another chapter! WOOOOOOO! Anyways, I hope you guys liked the last chapter. Before I start, a few important announcements: 1) Updates to this story will be (somewhat) weekly, and until I get more free time on my hands that's how it's gonna be. 2) I have been planning a side story about Kuroko, however I would like you guys to let me know if I should include that in this story or in another one altogether. Let me know in the reviews! That aside, I think it's time we started with this chapter. Let's get this party started!**

**NOTE: Do I look like I own Toaru? No I don't.**

* * *

"Hi." The white-haired esper turned to face the two girls.

Kazari was dumbstruck while Saten moved her mouth trying to reply but had somehow lost her voice.

"Hey, is your friend here mute? I don't to have to interpret hand signals."

Touma sweat dropped. "Ah, no... I think they're just a bit shocked meeting you."

"And why the heck is that?"

"Well, you are the Number 1 esper..."

"Number one this, number one that, I don't see what the hell that says about who I am. For all they know, I could be some homeless punk living in some back alley."

Touma laughed. "You know, that's not what you would have said two years ago."

"Yeah well, things change hero. Not all of us had smiles and rainbows as kids. It took time for me to come around."

"Wow. I never knew you could be so sentimental."

"Shut the fuck up. Hey! I already said no desserts!" Accelerator turned to Last Order, who had continued to haggle him for cake and ice cream for dinner.

Mikoto giggled. Accelerator had really changed in the last two years. Two years ago, the Top Level 5 esper would have broken an arm and a leg if his rank was placed under even the slightest scrutiny. A young boy, swallowed by the darkness of academy city. A youth who spent years in a cruel, emotionless world where killing was a part of everyday life.

And yet all that changed on a certain night in a train yard, when a black-haired boy went to battle to save a emotionally torn girl and her 10068 sisters. Mikoto sighed. She could never repay him for what he had done. Even as time drew on, she never forgot the feelings that formed in her heart when that boy, that hero of hers, stood up and denied her the option of giving up her life on that bridge. And that entire event would only serve as an anchor in their relationship, drawing them closer together. He might not realize her feelings for him, but they both shared a close knit friendship regardless. When rogue espers came calling, she was there beside him ready to fight. His determination, his will to protect, his strive to make a happy ending for everyone, it was what she admired so much about him...

"Misaka?"

Mikoto snapped back to reality. "huh? Yes?"

"Is there something wrong with Kamijou? You were staring at him pretty hard." Kazari noted.

"W-what? N-no! I was wasn't s-staring..." Mikoto sputtered, blushing. _Was I really staring at him? What does that mean?_

"Yeah, sure you weren't," teased Ruiko, leaning over. "Anyways, you never told me you knew the number one esper!"

"She is a Level 5 herself Saten," Kazari interjected, apparently over her initial shock. "It wouldn't be unfathomable that she knew him. I mean, she knows Gunha and Shokuho."

"Yeah, maybe... But still! The number one esper!? I can't believe this guy is him!"

"What? Didn't live up to your expectations?" Mikoto smirked.

"Well, not really. More like defied expectations. I mean, I thought that the Number 1 would be living in a penthouse somewhere. But then again, you weren't who I thought you were when I first met you."

"Really? What did you think I was like?"

"Well..." Rukio looked away sheepishly. "I kind of thought you were the stuck up princess type..."

"Oh come on, do I look like a princess to you?"

"You don't understand. You're a Level 5! The highest level there is! I mean, you're something great, one of the elites! How could I not see you as something like royalty?"

"I only got here because of hard work. Esper levels aren't something that's just handed to you on a silver platter; you need to work for them. You know that. How much effort did it take you to to become a level 1 with your Areo Hand ablilty?"

"I know, I know. But all that's useful for is flipping Uiharu's skirt."

"Hey! Saten!" The young hacker's face flushed with embarrassment.

Ruiko giggled. "Oh, lighten up. It's not like I've done it while you were going commando..."

"Stop it! You're embarrassing me!"

"Come on you two. Let's order already."

The food was ordered and delivered to the table. Last Order pouted at her plate of fried chicken and rice, but eventually ate it when Touma promised a parfait if she finished. When Accelerator looked at him inquisitively, Touma shrugged explained it was a tactic he had used to get index to eat something that she didn't want, in the rare event that the nun was being picky.

Throughout the meal, Ruiko kept stealing glances at Accelerator. Mikoto took notice and raised an eyebrow, while Uiharu happily ate her food. Touma meanwhile was spouting his feelings of having an assignment free weekend. Mikoto looked over and noticed his empty plate. _Man, he eats fast,_ she thought. She turned back to Ruiko, who was strangely interested in the way Accelerator was eating his hamburger. Accelerator, unaware of his audience, kept eating, stopping only to tell Last Order that yes, she had to finish her rice to get the parfait.

Six plates and a parfait later, the small party was leaving the restaurant. Ruiko had re-introduced her self to accelerator and was saying something about about an urban legend to him. Accelerator shook his head and answered that no, he didn't have the ability to turn a chicken into a turkey or time travel. Rukio nodded and went on to her next question.

"So there was a rumor on the web a few yeas back that the Number 1 esper in all of Academy City was being framed by some big shot corporation for the death of over a thousand girls. Did you know about that?"

Touma and Mikoto stopped dead in their tracks and exchanged glances. Mikoto swallowed and Touma looked around to see if anyone had heard. They turned to look at Accelerator.

Ruiko cocked her head. Accelerator had stopped walking and had a strange expression she couldn't read. Was it pain? Anger? Discomfort? She couldn't tell which. However, the expression faded quickly.

"Who the hell would believe shit as crazy as that?"

"Apparently those who think you can create a Christmas turkey from a bucket of fried chicken."

"tch. People are stupid"

"True. I mean, seriously, a thousand girls? How is that even possible?"

_Try ten times that,_ Mikoto thought to herself. _Oh, and make those girls clones. Clones of me._

Touma patted her tense shoulder and whispered to her. "It's in the past. Besides, I heard Imouto had her body chemistry stabilized recently. That frog doctor is really amazing."

Mikoto sighed. For someone so perceptive of her bodily language, he really was clueless about her feeling about him. But it was nice nonetheless; she enjoyed his attempts to relive her stress. Not only did they really work, she felt so much closer to him when he did.

Saten's conversation and Mikoto's enjoyment were cut by a particularly loud and persistent ringtone. Touma sheepishly answered his phone, knowing full well the abrupt change in mood it caused.

"Hello?... Tsuchimikado?... yeah... we're at Joseph's in District 15... what?... yes she's here... yeah, him too... What!?... such misfortune..."

Mikoto looked up at her senior's signature catch phrase. What was he talking to Mika's brother about?

"...fine... where?... okay... Why can't I handle it alone?... But they don't need to get involved!... sigh, fine... yeah, I'll tell them... alright... bye."

Touma closed his phone and looked at Mikoto. His face had hardened and his eye brows were furrowed, something that told Mikoto that the boy was getting serious.

"There's a situation. We need to go, now. Accelerator! apparently you're needed."

Accelerator simply looked at him and nodded. The three of them had been through enough to know what was happening. He quickly texted Yomikawa to pick up Last Order at Joseph's and asked the girls to take care of her.

"We need to do something. Take care of the brat until some tall lady gets here."

"what? where are you going?" Saten asked.

"Business" And with that, the three of them took off running.

Ruiko stared at the leaving group, then back at the little girl in Uiharu's arms.

"I'm gonna find out what their doing. Bye Uiharu!" Saten said quickly, and took off running after the three.

"Wait! Ruiko!" the girl yelled after her, but it was too late. The four of them had disappeared.

"'It's ok' says Misaka as Misaka notices your worry." Uiharu looked down at the girl in front of her.

"'Accelerator is going to protect everybody' says Misaka reassuringly"

* * *

_Southern Academy City - District 10_

The Skill-Out members shifted anxiously. This was their biggest stunt yet, and it was sure to make those snobbish upper levels take notice. Taking over an experimental nuclear reactor and using the threats of a radioactive meltdown to threaten the city was a brilliant idea. This was a plan months in the making and it had finally come true. Now those high and mighty espers with their oh-so-precious powers would learn not to look down at level zeroes.

The members of the gang had everything laid out: facility blueprints, haz-mat suits, assault rifles, even an armored vehicle. They had bombs for doors, a hacker for computers, and a contingency plan. Even when breaking into the district, there was no hitches. Anti-Skill was successfully avoided, and the hacker got the vehicle through the security checkpoints.

Haz-mat suits on, the group of ambitious gang members started their little plan. They had planned everything so perfectly, the purchase of the weapons, suits, and the vehicle were all done by private connections, and the plan was made in so much secrecy that members of Skill-Out not involved didn't even know of the operation. Even the day of operation was planned so that the wind would carry the radiation fallout into the densely populated District 7. The plan was so secure, so air tight, that there was no way any outsiders could have known what they were doing. Nobody knew of it. Nobody.

Or so they thought.

Standing atop a roof less than 200 meters away, an individual was surveying the exploits of the gang as they silently broke into the facility. The teenage observer narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses, his short blond hair waving in the wind as his green Hawaiian shirt flapped, disturbing the gold chain around his neck.

Motoharu Tsuchimikado looked down at his watch. If those three didn't get here in time, there would definitely be a meltdown. Of course there were less risks and even chance of containment if Accelerator would be here should it happen, but they young spy hoped that it would never have to come to that. Terrorists with bombs was one thing, Radioactive fallout was another; there would be no way to contain it if it got out into the atmosphere. And with the wind as it was today, District 7 would be hit the hardest. It was barely 2:30 in the afternoon, a time when students would be heading back to their dorms to either hangout with friends or take a afternoon nap, dorms that were located in District 7. Mika was there right now! There was no way he would let her be put in danger. The backstabbing blade looked at his watch again. Where were those slowpokes?

"Oi! Motoharu! Where are you?"

The spy winced. That guy really was an idiot. Luckily the Skill-Out members didn't seem to hear him.

The spy peered over the edge of the roof. "Up here Kami-yan. And keep it down, they might hear you."

"Sorry." Touma and company watched as their classmate jumped off the roof, wall jumping to the ground between an adjacent building.

"Since it looks like were all here, I'll cut to the chase. Skill-Out plans to cause a meltdown in an experimental nuclear reactor, then letting the radiation fall on academy city's residential area."

"What!? OK, I've seen them do some crazy things, but this? This is insane!" Mikoto exclaimed.

"Watch your volume. But you do have a point. Skill-Out is really amping up their game. They want to make a stand against the higher levels, and this is their solution."

"Shouldn't Anti-Skill handle this?" Touma inquired.

"By the time the cavalry gets here, it'll be too late. By that time, Skill Out will have gotten control and might even start the meltdown because cops are there."

"So let's stop them already. What the fuck are we lounging around for?" Accelerator interjected irritatedly.

"Hold up. This is an _experimental _nuclear research facility: this isn't your run of the mill reactor. If we just barge in there and a full fight breaks out, there's no telling how much destructive force could be unleashed."

"So, what's the plan?"

Tsuchimikado looked at Touma. "There's an operations room that doubles as a observation deck. It's reinforced and won't effect the reactor if we lock the controls."

"How do do that? We don't have a hacker, or a guide manuel to the controlls"

"That's where your girlfriend here come in."

"Hey! I am not this Idiot's girlfriend!"

"Right. Anyway, your part is to hack the controls and shut down the reactor, then disable the manual controls. Accelerator will be guarding the room and will also contain the blast should the reactor explode."

"If that's the case, then why am I here?" Touma asked confused. The other two had roles to play but he didn't. If he didn't have a part to play, why bother to ask him to come?

"You," Said Tsuchimikado as he handed Touma an earpiece, "will be handling infiltration."

* * *

"So remind me why you're not in here instead of me? You're the spy here." Touma whispered.

"_I told you, I'm the lookout. I'm much better at it than you are._" Motoharu's voice came through the earpiece.

Outside, the young spy smiled. There was another reason he had Touma inside the building. Kamijou was a natural master tactician, even if he didn't know it. Heck, he might be even better than Tsuchimikado in that spot. Touma's cunning was one of the main reasons that he was able to defeat people much more powerful than he was. Even if the boy had imagine breaker, plenty of magicians and espers could have killed him if he had been any less intelligent. It was how he used his power that made a difference, not that fact that he had one. Even in situations where Imagine Breaker was useless like this one, Touma still displayed tactical insight that often surprised his opponents. But, as smart as he was in that respect, he was still clueless that he had a harem of girls fawning over him.

Meanwhile, Touma was crouched in a dark hallway behind a file cabinet thinking two things: 1) How are we going to get past all those machine guns, and 2) Tsuchimikado is a jerk.

Touma decided to focus on the first thought. This place was crawling with Skill-Out. Sentries of haz-mat suit wearing thugs dispelled the possibility of sneaking around in the open. Touma gazed down the hallway from behind his hiding spot. There were two guys just next their hiding spot. Behind them, a vending machine stood next to another file cabinet and under a vent. As cliche as it was, the use of the vents was their best option. Touma looked around him. There was a trash can nearby. Peering in, Touma found two half-full water bottles. Carefully taking them out, Touma unscrewed the caps and silently drained their contents onto the tile floor. Behind him, Mikoto and Accelerator raised their eyebrows. What was he doing? Mikoto was about to get up and just shock the two guards senseless when Kamijou held out his arm in front of her. He pointed to the puddle in front of them, which had expanded to engulf the shoes of the guards. Mikoto nodded and dipped her hand in, sending a current through the water.

The two thugs stiffened, then collapsed. There was no cry of alarm from the shock, it had been totally unexpected.

Touma sighed in relief. And stepped out from behind the cabinet, the level 5s behind him following suit.

"Why didn't you just let me shock them?" Mikoto hissed.

"Because, even if the guards hadn't yelled out, the light from your electricity would have alerted others."

_Wow. I didn't think of that..._ Mikoto thought. Touma turned around without waiting for an answer. He climbed atop the cabinet, then the vending Machine. Quickly, he removed the grate and crawled into the vents. Touma took out his phone and looked at it. Onscreen was a picture of the blue prints to the facility.

* * *

Almost ten minutes of crawling later, the three had reached the control room. Touma looked through the grate and down into the room. The room was mostly dark, but the glow of many screens, buttons, and the lights in the reactor room provided illumination. There were five thugs in the room. Two were standing next to heavy metal doors with guns out, the other three were messing around with the control panels.

Touma took three seconds to take stock of the situation, then acted.

Inside the operations room, the three gang members hanging around the control panel were trying to take control of the reactor. The guy on the right flipped a couple switches and turned to his companion on the far left. He nodded in response and flipped a few more switched and pressed a button.

A button in the middle glowed red.

"Hey, I think we-"

The thug in the middle was cut off as the ceiling dropped something onto his head. The other four in the room barely had the time to register what had happened when something else swung out from the ceiling and kicked the man on the right in the chest, sending him flying into the wall.

The guards blinked once in surprise as they looked at the intruder. He was barely 20, possibly 18-19 years old. What was a teenager doing in here? Before they could react, the boy grabbed the metal grate that had fallen on the control hijacker and threw it, hitting one of the guards in the head and knocking him out.

The other guard gaped at his friend being taken out then recovered and raised his gun, turning to aim at the boy.

He was greeted by the sight of his other companion flying towards him. The two collided and slumped against the door.

Mikoto and Accelerator dropped from the ceiling vent and landed next to Touma. Accelerator wasted no time in using his power to gather the bodies and pile them against the door, while Mikoto quickly ran to the reactor controls and placed her palm on a screen, using her powers to effortlessly hack into the system.

As much as she was concentrating on her task, Mikoto had many thoughts swirling through the back of her mind. Either her or Accelerator could have easily taken out the people in the room with out half as much much hassle as Touma. So why hadn't he let them do it? The vent was big enough for her to crawl around him and drop down.

The Railgun mentally sighed. She suspected it was his want to do things on his own and not trouble others. She remembered his outburst on the phone with Tsuchimikado. True, he had begun to accept her help on occasion, like with the puddle of water earlier and her many tutoring visits. But he still had the tendency to do things on his own. As infuriating as it was, it was also something that spoke of his kindness. Mikoto sighed again, just another item on the list of things she liked about Touma.

Wait...

_AHHH! WHAT IS WRONG WITHE ME!? NOW I'M LISTING THINGS I LIKE ABOUT HIM!? WHAT AM I? OBSESSED WITH HIM!? GAH!_

Misaka's thoughts were interrupted by an impatient Accelerator. "Tch. Hurry the fuck up Third Rate. I left my cane outside and I don't want to burn out my choker standing around waiting for your slow ass. I only have one spare battery ya know."

"I know, I know! I'm working on it!" Misaka retorted. She cursed st herself. Now was not the time to debate her relationship with the idiot.

"There, it's done. Reactor's been shut off and the controls disabled."

Touma nodded and spoke through his ear piece. "Reactor's down and taken care of."

"_Good, 'cause we've got at pretty serious situation on our hands._"

Touma frowned, he didn't like the sound of that. "What kind of situation?"

Before Motoharu could reply, at gruff voice called out from behind the closed door.

"Come on out, or else your little friend's head here goes splat!"

"Hey! Who are you calling little!?"

"Shut up! Or do you want to be cleaned off the floor with a chisel by a janitor?"

Touma paled as he recognized the second voice and looked at Mikoto, who looked back with a face of shock and fear.

"_uhh, yeah... that kind of situation..._" The spy commented blandly.

Touma and Mikoto yelled out simultaneously.

"Ruiko!"

* * *

**Cliffhanger! Yay! Sorry for the late update, I'm just busy with school. I'll try to post new chapters every week or so. That being said, I would like to thank all of you guys that have reviewed on my two chapters so far. Like I said, I want to know what YOU think about this story! Also, tell me what you think about my idea for a kuroko side arc. I think some Kamikoto fluff will happen in the next chapter, don't you? lol!**

**As always, leave a very much appreciated review and PM me if you have any ideas for the story (Seriously, I want to hear what you have to say!). Thanks so much for reading!**


	4. Chapter 3: Just Kiss already

Chapter 3: Just kiss already...

**Welcome back to the story where we eventually kill Touma (possibly) and leave Mikoto without the love of her life (maybe). Buuuut you pretty much knew that from the prologue. Jokes aside, I actually plan a crisis where Touma gets critically injured and possibly even dies. Or maybe I don't. Haha! You gotta Keep guessing! Yay! Also, just a little note, prepare for cussing from Accelerator (Seriously, he's Accelerator. What did you expect?) Now, about that fluff I mentioned last chapter...**

**Note: I do not own Toaru. Now get off my lawn.**

* * *

"RUIKO!"

The two looked at each other in shock.

What was she doing here!?

Touma furrowed his brow. This was bad. If they didn't step out, Ruiko Saten's head would be a blood stain on the floor. They needed to comply or else they wo-

**CRRRUNCH!**

The iron doors were crumpled into a ball and tossed to one side much like one would with a piece of paper. And those doors were at least four inches thick.

Touma and Mikoto slowly turned to see a very pissed off Accelerator glaring at the man who held a young girl in his arms. The man, who was holding a gun to Saten's head, was taken aback. He had expected the door to open and either a flashbang or Anti-Skill to come out, not the doors to pull themselves off the hinges and be crushed by unseen forces. Even more surprising was that there were three MORE kids inside the room.

The man blinked. Since when were kids a stand in for the police?

Accelerator bared his teeth and snarled. He stomped the floor and the man flew back as if kicked in the gut by an elephant, his gun spinning in the air almost comically before landing harmlessly beside Saten.

Sprawled across the ground, man groaned. The kid hit the floor and he just... flew. What? How in the world did he...?

The man didn't get the time to think about it because Accelerator was now standing on top of him with one foot on his chest. The man was sweating behind his mask when accelerator bent down and glared daggers through the clear plastic that separated them. The material might as well have evaporated into thin air.

"Tch, you assholes make me sick. People like you using others to gain their own selfish desires, manipulating others just to get whatever the fucking hell you want. I've had enough of you assholes in my life! Always manipulating things, always coming after me, always trying to get whatever they fucking want out of me..."

Accelerator slowly stood back up and began changing his choker's battery. Every movement was slow and precise, something that, for some reason, made the man under his foot even more uncomfortable. Who was this guy? As the man began to feel panic take over, Accelerator continued with his rant.

"Holding an innocent hostage, tch. That shit is so low it's disgusting. And that means something coming from me, 'cause I've done things that would make grown men barf. I'm so pissed I'd kill you right here and now if there weren't little kids watching, but since there are, I'll just ask you a question..."

Accelerator paused and an audible click sounded in the silence.

Battery change complete.

As the light on the choker turned from green to red, Accelerator reached down and grabbed a hold of the man's suit. Almost effortlessly, he hoisted the man up and off the ground. Accelerator narrowed his eyes at the trembling man inside.

"WHERE THE FUCK DO YOU GET OFF HURTING OTHERS TO GET WHAT YOU WANT!?" Accelerator roared as he full on threw the man across the room and through the opposing wall with a loud crash.

At the sound of the breaking wall, other Skill-Out members came flooding into the room. One person looked at the body that had been shoot through the side of the room.

"T-t-the boss... The boss got taken down!"

"What?"

"Yeah, he's right here lying in a hole through a wall!"

"Who the hell-? I bet those kids over there did it!"

"What are they, espers?!"

"Yeah! Friggin snobs! You had to interfere!"

"Get 'em!"

And with that, they began unloading their guns on the four kids standing in the room.

* * *

Accelerator was indifferent to the bullets being shot at him. Honestly, what could they hope to accomplish? All the bullets simply dropped to the floor. Nothing would touch him or pass him. He could stand there and deflect shots for the next half hour.

But there were the other three in the room, all of who had taken convenient cover behind him. If didn't end it now, all it would take was a stray bullet to ricochet off the wall and injure them.

Accelerator sighed. It was a pain, having people you had to be responsible for. Then again, doing nothing but reflect bullets was getting boring. Once again, Accelerator raised his foot...

A spiderweb of cracks appeared in the floor and everyone with a gun was sent flying backward with incredible force.

Taking advantage of the situation, Touma started yelling out commands. Screw doing it alone, they had to get Saten out of here before something bad happened.

"Misaka! Make sure they're down! Accelerator, collapse the hallways and barricade them with rubble! We can't hold out for long if we don't do something!"

Mikoto nodded and shocked the gunmen on the ground, twice for good measure. No matter how annoying it was that Touma was calling out shots, any way she sliced it he was right. She turned to Accelerator, who had sealed off the entrances to the room. Touma nodded his approval and put a hand to his ear.

"Tsuchimikado! you there?"

"_Yeah, whaddup Kami?_"

"Get Anti-Skill. Tell them to keep Judgement outside of the building but set up a perimeter around the facility."

"_S__ure thing__. By the way, when did you start speaking like a military official?_"

"Just do it!"

"_Okay, okay. Relax, I'm on it. Wait... OK, looks like word of your little scuffle inside got out. They're pulling the van around to the front. More people are coming out, and they're carrying what looks like... bombs._"

"Bombs!?"

"_Relax, they aren't big. It seems like they plan to use them to clear out the halls you guys blocked off. They don't seems to have too many, so I'd assume that they won't just go busting through walls recklessly._"

Touma furrowed his brow. This could mean trouble. Accelerator didn't have enough charge left in his choker to deal with them by the time they got here. They needed to-

"_Oh, before you go running off and do something you might regret, it would be worth noting that they started setting up some kind of sound system. Anyways, I'll try and get Anti-Skill for you. You're on your own until they get here._"

Just brilliant. The sound system was probably for Capacity Down, the ability disrupting system. Touma had heard about the sound program from Misaka and even encountered it once in the back alleys of District 19, although the person who used it against him had expected him to be an esper and not a Level 0, so he hadn't actually seen its effects first hand. But if what he had heard about it was true, they had to escape before it was set up...

* * *

Saten's head was swimming as she tried to take stock of the situation. She had followed the group of three to District 10, saw them meet with a blond haired boy, and then run off into a large research facility. She had snuck in through the same back door they had and was trailing them, but lost them when they turned a corner and seemingly disappeared. Next thing she knew, she was grabbed from behind, dragged through the facility, set down in front of some doors with a gun pointed at her head, and insultingly called small (the nerve of that guy!).

The next part was even more confusing. The metal doors in front of her crumpled into balls and behind them were her three friends. Suddenly the man was no longer next her but behind her. The white-haired boy started talking, then roared which seemed to throw the man through the wall. There was more voices, loud bangs, and a certain boy standing between her and the bangs with bullets falling to the ground next to him like rain. The banging stopped, lightning flashed, and then Kamijou was talking to thin air. What was going on?

Now Misaka was picking up the ball that had been one of the doors. A flash of light and several consecutive crashes later, there was a series of identical holes in the walls of the building that led straight outside. Kamijou started arguing with with Misaka, and Accelerator joined in. Did these people always do this? Man, she was going to need to spend a lot more time on those online forums...

* * *

"What on Earth where you thinking?!"

"I was making of a way out!"

"You're crazy! You could bring down the building!"

"Don't worry, I didn't fire it full force."

"That's still crazy!"

"Will you two SHUT UP!" Accelerator butted in. "If you haven't noticed, it's already late in day! I don't want to have to explain extra shit to Yomikawa!"

"She's already coming with Anit-Skill, so quit your bawling." Mikoto retorted.

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN. I WANT TO FINISH HERE. GOT IT?"

"Accelerator has a point Misaka. Crazy or not, we need to get out of here before Capacity Down is set up! Let's go!"

Misaka nodded in agreement. She did create a giant hole in the side of a building for a reason. Grabbing Saten, she followed the boys outside.

Unfortunately, they emerged from the building and into a waiting group of Skill-Out.

"There they are!"

"You think you can run away that easily?"

"Yeah, did you really think we wouldn't see a giant explosion in the side of the building?"

"Little brats, you ruined our plan. Now you're gonna pay!"

"Yeah that's right. Did you really think that we wouldn't be prepared for espers? Play the music Takashi!"

Touma felt a new rush of adrenaline down his spine. If Misaka and Accelerator didn't leave, they could be in trouble. He had to do something before the audio file was played!

"Accelerator! Get Saten and Misaka out of here! Now!" Touma yelled. His voice brooked no uncertainty; it was a command, not a request.

Accelerator knew what was going on and he wasn't about do anything irrational. He grabbed the two girls and leaped into the air and away from the confrontation with his ability.

At least, he meant to take two girls.

Mikoto pushed out of accelerator's grip and landed next to Touma before Accelerator could gain height. As the Number One sailed away, she yelled at him not to turn back.

_That idiot! Why is he trying to do it alone!? They have guns!_ Mikoto thought. Even if Capacity down was activated, she could still do one last thing...

"What are you doing!?" Touma yelled.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion. Even as the boy beside her called out and the air around them began to fill with a high pitched wail, the Railgun activated her powers to do one last task to help her friend. Her hands glowed blue as the guns in her enemy's hands flew through the air and landed at her feet. At least now he wouldn't have to worry about those anymore. As knives, pistols, and rifles finished depositing themselves in a neat pile in front of her, she felt the effects of the Capacitor Down take effect. A small buzz in the base of her skull that quickly spread to the front of her forehead and increased to acute pain. Slight nausea and extreme vertigo made themselves glaringly present as she began to crumple to the floor. As her vision began to blur and and the world turned sideways, she managed to smile through the pain at her friend she cared for so much.

She fell into a semi-conscious state, writhing on the floor and clutching her head in pain, moaning and crying her discomfort. As she endured the torment of the sound, one thought permeated through her barely functioning mind:

_win, Touma._

* * *

After what seemed an eternity, Mikoto slowly regained her senses as she realized they weren't being assaulted anymore. Her ears and eyes slowly adjusting to the light around her as the pain faded form her head. She was lying on the floor, but strangely her head wan't on the ground.

A quick look around and she confirmed that she was resting on Touma's lap. The boy's blue eyes looked her body over, examining her for injuries. Noticing her open eyes, he smiled at her warmly, a smile he always gave her when she was unhappy or upset.

Mikoto blushed weakly. She was tired and mentally felt like her brain had been put through a blender and then baked, but even with her weary mind he still made her heart tick. She wanted to run and hide, grow wings and fly away, or crawl into a hole and hide. But she was too weak at the moment to even attempt any of those things.

She settled for turning her head and hiding her face in his shirt. As cute and romantic (or so it seemed to her) that the action was, it was the best way to hide her red cheeks.

Still, it was nice. She remembered the day two years ago when she had held his head in a similar way. It was almost like fate, both of them finding themselves in these situations. He cared about her, going out of his way to help her sisters and also doing what he could to protect Academy City and by extension, her. What girl wouldn't throw themselves at him? That boy, such a dense person and yet so perceptive of others. Why couldn't he understand how she felt about him?

She peeked out of his shirt and at him. Battered and bruised, the boy was a sight. But there he was, smiling his gentle smile at her as if it all were nothing. He was a real hero... her hero...

The sound of Anti-Skill sirens filled the air, Misaka silently thanking them for saving her from going into the mushy part of her imagination. Touma carefully got up and helped the shaken 16 year-old to her feet. Even with the headache gone, she still felt uneasy on her feet. This was the fifth time she had endured Capacity Down in the past three years, and she still never got used to its effects.

Cars and vans pulled up and Anti-Skill personnel began pouring out, Judgement members in the area joining them. As the wave of cops quickly began working their way through the area doing their job, Touma was stopped by an officer. The man asked for identification and then Touma fumbled through his left pocket and brought out his wallet, opening it and showing it to the officer. The officer took a look, and immediately bowed his head and pointed to a parked van. Touma nodded his thanks and carried him and Mikoto to the awaiting vehicle.

Upon reaching the van, two guards stopped him. Again, Touma showed them his wallet and they were admitted in. Misaka glanced at the wallet in curiosity. What was he showing them?

Touma carried the weary girl into the van and sat her down on a wall seat inside. He then moved forward and addressed the Anti-Skill woman already there. It was their school gym teacher, Yomikawa Aiho.

"Hi, Yomikawa-sensei"

"Hello Kamijou. I should have known you would be here. You kids, always getting into things. Anyways I'll make this quick, I'll need a report on Monday when you come back to class instead of now because you guys seem tired. Just drop it off at the teacher's office. As for Misaka here..."

"Don't worry, I'll cover her in my report. Can we get a ride back to the dorm? Misaka's been through a lot today."

"I can do that. But first, you're gonna need medical attention for those bruises. Is that a knife cut?"

"Hehe, Yeah. One of them tried to cut me with a plastic knife. But it's only a scratch, so you don't need to worry."

"If you say so. I'll pull the car around, Yamato will help you with your wounds in the meantime." Yomikawa spoke into a radio then exited the van.

To Mikoto, the conversation barely registered. She was so tired. She just wanted to go back to her dorm, maybe eat something-

"Onee-sama! Where are you~?"

Mikoto immediately jerked up. In a panic, she scrambled to the back of the van and shut the doors. More stress from Kuroko was NOT something she needed right now!

Where was that car?!

* * *

_Elsewhere in District 7..._

On a screen, Touma fought a hoard of Skill-Out members trying to assault him with their fists. One by one, the thugs fell to the floor as the boy threw punch after punch.

As the video played, its watcher smiled. He was a slim man with white hair, floating upside-down weightlessly in a tube filled with a mysterious orange tinted liquid. Aleister Crowley smiled as we watched the video play on a screen on the side of his tank.

_The Imagine breaker is developing_ _nicely,_ Crowley thought._ Soon I can begin my plans to-_

The Academy City director was interrupted as another screen appeared, covering the previous one displaying the video. Aleister Narrowed his eyes.

The screen displayed a report of an anomaly in information in the city. This was about a spatial distortion, one that occurred above the city at an altitude of 8,000 meters. Spatial distortions were not uncommon in Acaedemy city as espers like teleporters and Kakine Tetitoku created them whenever they used their powers. But the massive observation network that Crowley had pieced together wouldn't simply generate an alert every time one of them used an ability.

No, this report was about an anomaly in the information processed.

Aleister read the report further. It read that a small distortion was detected above the city as if someone had teleported either from or to that area. However, no mass was displaced into the spot where the distortion occurred, unlike what would normally happen when an object or entity was teleported. It definitely wasn't Teitoku, because the distortions caused by his ability were prolonged. This one lasted less than 0.5 seconds, similar to teleportation. But it couldn't be that because teleportation, by nature, caused two distortions, one at the "departure site" and an one at the destination and there was no other distortion in the city within a time frame of 2.286 seconds before or after the event, the longest time delay between a teleporter's "jump" and "landing".

After pondering the situation, Crowley decided to dismiss the alert. The sensor that detected the anomaly could be damaged or broken. However, he saved the report information. It couldn't hurt to keep tabs on this interesting development.

The man closed the screen and continued with his video...

* * *

The car ride was a nice alleviation from the crazy events that had transpired today. Between causing about 2,400,000 yen in damage, getting her mental calculations forcibly scrambled, and stressing over hiding from her obsessive former roommate, Mikoto really just wanted to eat some dinner and sleep. It was already late in the afternoon, and Mikoto just wanted to retire for the day.

The girl snuggled into her seat in the back and sighed. It would be awhile before they reached the dorm areas. Bored, she turned to the front of the car and listened in on her friend's conversation with their gym teacher.

"...I know it's going to be next to impossible to get Accelerator to talk, so do you mind telling me his part in all this?"

"Well, He really helped out with keeping the guys off us. And he also saved a hostage held at gun point."

"That Saten girl, right? I heard about her when I picked up Uiharu and the Last Order. My my, looks like the boy is picking up interest in girls, wouldn't you say?"

"I guess..." Touma answered hesitantly. From the albino's rant eariler, it seemed more like a personal vendetta than female infatuation.

"Speaking of girls, I didn't know you two finally got together."

"What!?" The two teens exclaimed.

"You don't need to hide it. I mean, I saw you two together at the site, holding her head in your lap..."

"HE/SHE ISN'T MY BOY/GIRL FRIEND!" The two cried out, both blushing a deep red.

"Ahaha! If you guys say so..." The teacher laughed. It was so obvious they were made for each other. Young love was so much fun to watch...

* * *

"Thank you, Yomikawa-sensei" The two high schoolers thanked the teacher.

"Not a problem. Rest up, you had a big day." Yomikawa cheerily replied as she drove off.

And then two were left together in front of Touma's dorm.

Or rather, their dorm.

Mikoto had moved into a room above the floor he lived on when she had graduated from Tokiwadai. Touma was ironically fortunate enough to secure her a space by talking to the building manager when he heard about Misaka's enrollment at his school. But for some reason she had yelled at him then chased him around the city when she found out. Nevertheless, she moved in. She also made it very clear that she didn't want Kuroko knowing where she lived. As odd as it was, Touma decided it was none of his business to know the reason for her specifications.

Touma looked at his watch. It was right around dinner time, and he actually had food in his refrigerator...

"Hey Misaka. Do you wanna eat dinner at my place tonight?"

The words took a few seconds to sink in.

"EEEHHH!?"

Mikoto stood there shocked at what she had just been asked. He just asked her to go to his place... He was INVITING her to his home! Ok, ok, she had been to his room before, it shouldn't be a big surprise that he was inviting her. Yeah, no big deal! But then again, she had never been there for a meal... alone with... him... in his house...

Images of a fancy dinner in a candle lit room flashed across her mind. There he was with his blue eyes and heart-melting smile, dressed in a formal suit and a towel over his arm, serving her a criminally delicious cut of beef and a glass of champagne... It didn't help that the background was pink with hearts on it.

Wait a minute...

GAH! What was she thinking! There would be no fancy steak dinner with a ridiculously handsome Kamijou Touma tonight! It would be strictly instant dinners dinners from a microwave. He probably didn't mean anything by it anyway. Yes! He would be too dense to try a romantic dinner with her! Why was she worried?!

"Umm, hello? I asked if you wanted to eat dinner at my place."

"Yes! I will eat a non-romantic dinner with you!" Misaka shouted, flustered by her own thinking and bright pink in the face.

"What? Geez, a simple yes would do. And you didn't need to yell. Well, I guess if you're really hungry it can do strange things to you." Touma said as he walked to the elevator.

"Wait, aren't you going to the convenience store?" Misaka inquired as they boy held open the door for her.

"Nah, I don't need to. I've got enough stuff to cook a meal for both of us."

_'He's...cooking?'_ Mikoto panned as the elevator doors closed. Her illusion of microwave meals were shattered and visions of a steak dinner reappeared.

* * *

Mikoto sat at Touma's chabudai, staring at the boy in the kitchen. Touma was still at the stove cooking something, leaving Mikoto to brood over her situation in peace for a few minutes.

The electromaster wore a face almost as expressionless as her sisters. Mainly because she couldn't decide what on emotion she felt.

Was she disappointed that there was no slab of cooked cow on her plate?

Or was she happy she was eating a home-cooked dinner with her crush?

Really, she was too tired to care about how irrational her thoughts were. What she did care about was that she was eating Touma's cooking for the first time. But why hadn't he surprised her with an amazing dinner? Then again, he did have a budget. Also, what kind of food could an idiot like him cook? How well could he cook? Mikoto couldn't help but feel apprehensive about what was awaiting her. Sure, she really had no standard for him because she had never had his food before, but with his budget what could she really expect? The brunette looked to the boy tending to the pot on the stove, wondering what the dense idiot could possibly be thinking about having a girl over. He probably had no thoughts about how lucky he was...

Touma's calm demeanor belied the frothing stew of emotions (or were they hormones?) that was boiling in the back of his mind. He had always been good at hiding his innermost thoughts, but this scenario just might make him boil over. Contrary to popular belief, Touma was VERY aware of the human lightning-in-a-bottle sitting in his room. It is impossible for a healthy young boy not to notice when one of his close friends of the opposite gender (and one that you see on a regular basis) starts to... well... blossom. In two short years, Mikoto had grown almost a full head taller and somehow acquired an aura of beauty that rivaled her mother, bust and all. To make thing worse, Touma felt like he was seeing more leg skin every day, no thanks the the girl's preference for short skirts. The dinner invitation was innocent in itself; nothing more than an offering to help a friend and a way to get rid of food that would otherwise go to waste. But his hormones acting up like this was never part of that picture. He couldn't tell if it was misfortune for feeling this way, or good luck for having such a pretty girl over.

Not an easy thing to decide when you really only have about three years of life experience to go on. (Thank you, memory wipe)

_'Oh well, no use pining over it now,'_ Touma thought while forcing the thought from his brain, _t__ime to get the food on the table. Hopefully she doesn't zap me for bad cooking..._

"Dinner's ready! Hope you like it."

Touma took out a couple plates and laid the table, putting the dishes out in front of Misaka. The girl raised an eyebrow at the food.

In front of her was a bowl of miso soup, a plate of fried chicken, and a large helping of curry on rice.

_'Huh. Seems pretty standard. Then again, I never really cook for myself so I should be grateful he's gone through the trouble...' _Misaka thought

_"_Thanks. Itadakimasu!" Mikoto said as she dug in.

"Itadakimatsu." Touma echoed. He help his chopsticks in hand, but didn't touch his food as he watched Misaka take a bite of the chicken, studying her face for a reaction...

Mikoto chewed her piece of fried poultry and swallowed. Then she exploded.

"Omaigosh! You cooked this?! You didn't take this out of a microwave, did you?!"

"No."

"You're lying!"

"No, I'm not..." Touma said. _Oh no, she thinks it's terrible and is gonna kill me now. Just back away slowly..._

"This. Is. Amazing! I never knew you could cook so well! This is so good! And this soup-" **slurp** "-tastes better than most restaurants! And don't even get me started on the curry and-" **chomp **"-rice! It's so delicious!"

"Umm, I take it you don't normally eat food this good." Touma commented, seeing the Railgun hungrily eating her food.

"Are you kidding me?! I've been heating take-outs in the microwave for dinner ever since I graduated from Tokiwadai! Oh this is so amazing! I can't get enough!"

"Well, if you want I can cook dinner for you."

Mikoto suddenly stopped her mad scramble to get gold covered rice into her mouth.

"Wat?"

"Yeah! I mean, ever since Index left I've been buying too much food for just me. It won't be a problem to cook for you too."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Then yes! I would love it!" The girl answered excitedly. '_I get to eat Touma's delicious food? Every night? Oh yes! Sign me up!'_

"Great, glad you enjoy it that much!" Touma smiled. Another person helped, than made him happy.

The two smiled at each other for a bit. Then it hit them both like a building thrown by Accelerator.

_'Wait, every night? Here? Alone? With Touma?'_ Mikoto mentally flushed.

'_Hold on, did I just invite a pretty girl to my apartment every night? Why does that bother me?'_ Touma thought.

They two slowly turned to eat their meals.

Ten minutes later the plates were empty and not a word had been said between them since. Mikoto because she was embarrased, Touma because his man senses told him something was off in this situation.

"..."

The two awkwardly stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity.

"Soo..." Kamijou drawled, trying to break the ice.

"Yeah..." Mikoto answered, confirming it hadn't cracked in the slightest.

"..."

"..."

Another round of staring.

"I'm... tired" Mikoto tried.

"Yeah, me too." Touma returned.

"So, I should get going..."

"Yeah! Big day today. I mean, Capacitor Down and all."

"Right! So... Thanks for the food I guess"

"You're welcome! No problem! So... tomorrow?"

"Yeah... Tomorrow..."

And with that Mikoto left. Touma sighed; that was really awkward. He picked up the dishes and put them in the sink. He touched the bandage on his face absentmindedly.

'_I get the feeling something big happened in front of me and I just missed it.'_

Touma shrugged and washed the dishes, putting them on the rack to dry. He was about to prepare for a shower when his door bell rang. Touma opened the door wondering who could it be.

The door opened to reveal a red-faced Biribri who look somewhat uncomfortable. Before Touma could even comment, the girl spoke.

"Uhh... Well, it's like this. I kind of lost my room keys at the fight so I'm locked out. I was wondering... if I could... y-you know... s-s-stay over... " The Electromaster stuttered.

"Um... Sure..." Touma answered. Instantly, his man-instincts started screaming. Something about him sheltering this particular girl. Why? He had no idea.

Really, thanks a lot Memory Loss.

* * *

**IT'S FINALLY DONE! YESH! AHAHAHAH! 5000 WORDS! I FEEL LIKE A GOD! All kidding aside seriously: five thousand words.  
Anyways, I'm reeeeeelllllly sorry for the late update. School has been tying me down really bad, so I've had minimal time to work on this. Don't worry, I'll still write chapters, hopefully every week. I'll try to keep the output of chapters consistent from now on. Just some tidbits for you guys to look forward to: I am planning a Daihasei Festival mini-arc for this story and I am already working on a draft for the Kuroko story. Look forward to those chapters in the future! Besides that, next chapter we explore what happened to Saten and Accelerator and the mysterious event that caught Aleister's attention! YAY!**

**As always, leave a very much appreciated review and PM me if you have ANY ideas for the story.**

**-Shuriken**


	5. Chapter 4: Is it Really Misfortune?

Chapter 4: Is it Really Misfortune, Or Does the Universe Just Hate You?

**Oh goody! New Chapter! YAY! You guys love me even though I suck at writing! Haha, LOL! Anyways, it's time I start writing an new piece of my story, a particularly humorous one at that. So take a break from the action, kick back, grab some popcorn, and buckle up for one bumpy ride of juicy fanfic goodness!**

**Note: I don't own Toaru. There, I said it. Now shut your trap and read, you darn lawyers!**

* * *

_A Certain Apartment_

Touma Kamijou couldn't decide whether or not he was the luckiest boy in Academy City or the next prisoner on death row. Long story short, he was trapped in his own room next to what was the equivalent of a sleeping human electrical bomb. A bomb that had somehow strapped herself to his back and was currently in the process of snuggling a hole through his shirt with her face.

Mikoto Misaka smiled, murmured something about smell and manliness into her captive's back and tightened her grip on her prize.

The prize in question wasn't very happy about his predicament. After Mikoto had showered, Touma had given her some clothes to wear to sleep and insisted that she do so on the bed. Kamijou himself would have opted for the bath tub, but it was still wet from their washes. So he decided to lay out the extra futon and sleep on that instead. Halfway through the night, he awoke to the sound of something moving beside him. He rolled over to came face to face with a sleeping Mikoto, who had somehow rolled off the bed and onto his area. He considered waking her up but abandoned the thought when he saw a couple sparks play along her hairline. Touma sweat dropped and slowly rolled the other way. Getting a shock this early in the morning wasn't worth it. Besides, she was sleeping. If he kept to his side of the mattress then nothing could go wrong, right?

The unfortunate boy got his answer twenty minutes later.

Now he was stuck with a grabby railgun on his back and a typhoon of hormones, at two in the morning no less!  
As Mikoto hugged her human body pillow closer, Touma felt her two... assets... press themselves against his back. This in turned started a very... hard... problem for our hero, literally. Even worse: there was nothing supernatural about this problem so he couldn't just negate or destroy it with his right hand. Seriously, was this a realized nightmare or a blissful fantasy come true? Touma cried silent tears of self-pity as his captor continued nuzzling his back. It was either move and get zapped now, or stay still and maybe get zapped later. Touma decided to just try and sleep; he'd rather take his chances with her in the morning then die now.

After 5 more rounds of snuggling, 3 sessions of muscle groping (particularly his chest and arm areas for some reason), and 1 of what could only be called get-as-close-to-Kamijou-as-humanly-possible-including-wrapping-of-legs-and-death-hugs was the poor (or extremely lucky) boy able to fall asleep...

_\- five hours later -_

Mikoto awoke to a slightly musky yet satisfyingly comforting aroma and a surprisingly hard bed.

'_I don't remember the bed being this firm..._' Mikoto thought groggily as she slowly opened her eyes...

...to find a face extremely close to her own. She was lying directly on top of a certain spikey haired boy and he was lying face up towards her, snoring.

Mikoto blinked, sat up, and did what any other girl would have done: scream.

This in turn caused Touma to wake with a jolt. Naturally, he panicked. Who wouldn't with a 52 Kg weight screaming on top of you and pinning you down at the waist.

This caused a rather comical scene where Mikoto was sitting on top of Touma screaming while he flailed his arms in a panic underneath her, throwing the pillows and blankets into disarray around them. The whole shenanigan lasted about ten seconds, which was more than enough for a certain spectator.

"Well well well, Look at what we have here. Finally putting the moves on her Kami-yan, nya~?"

"Tsuchimikado?!"

"Hey there! I came here to return the key Misaka dropped at the site, but I caught you two lovebirds sleeping there and decided to take a video instead. Wait till the other guys see this!"

"Tsuchimikado, don't you dare!" Touma yelled from underneath Misaka.

"Too late! Just sent it out."

"Who did you send it to...?" Mikoto nervously asked.

"Everybody. Hey, looks like Aogami put it up on online! Oh, wait... someone's commented already. Says 'Troglodyte not worthy, where was this taken', written by a certain... Shirai... Kuroko...? Huh. You two know her? "

At this point, both victims of cruel fate sighed and hung their heads while crying at the shattered remains of their dignity. As if tied by destiny they looked to the sky and cried out their afflictions to the world:

"Such misfortune!"

* * *

_Yomikawa's Apartment_

Accelerator stared at his phone watching the ten second video of an idiot and a third rate fool around. The boy snorted his disapproval and put his phone away, turning his attention to a more relevant matter.

"Hey girly, you done yet?"

"Oh! Yes. Thanks again for letting me stay over. Did I take too long in there?" Said a certain long haired girl as she emerged from the bathroom, her breath minty fresh and teeth shiny white.

"Don't worry about it. The hags I live with take much longer. I swear, this place needs a second bathroom..."

"'Don't talk about Auntie Yomikawa that way!' says Misaka as Misaka scolds the rude boy for being disrespectful." Last Order piqued as she peeked around Saten's legs.

"Tch, getting talked to by a brat. Yeesh."

"Haha! You two really get along! I remember when me and my brother talked the same way. Oh, I never asked; why does she talk that way? You know, in third person and all." Asked Saten as the little group made their way to the living room.

"'Misaka's brain wasn't developed normally, too quickly in fact. So Misaka had to learn to speak through a program called Testament. The program wasn't prefect, so all the Misakas' speech centers are a little different then normal people' says Misaka as Misaka explains the difference between her speech and other people's"

"Oh. Well, it's nice that you can at least speak. And did you say 'Misakas'? As in plural?" Saten asked. Misaka had other sisters? She hadn't known that.

Last Order opened her mouth to answer again, but Accelerator quickly cut her off. "The other Misakas are supposed to be a sensitive matter, or something like that. If you want to know more, go ask the third rate yourself. I'm not gonna spill another person's problems and secrets to a stranger."

"Huh. Okay, I'll talk to her later. What I want to know is that was going on yesterday. Guys with guns, Kamijou talking to thin air, all of it taking place in a Nuclear Facility of all places."

By now, they had reached the living room of the apartment. Accelerator flopped down on a couch and sighed. He wasn't the talkative explaining type, but he knew the girl wouldn't stop asking until he answered. At least Worst wasn't here to make things, well, worse.

"Hey loli! When did you bring an actual girl home?"

Speak of the devil.

"Last night. Now shut up, I just woke up and I don't want to listen to you run your friggin pie hole," Accelerator answered. He didn't even bother looking at who he directed his insult at. If he did, it might encourage her and that was the last thing he wanted.

Of course that didn't stop the teenage clone from rambling on.

"Last night? Hohoho! This Misaka bets you two were smooching up a storm! Misaka can't help but feel a little jealous..."

Meanwhile, Saten was dumbfound at the sight of another "sister". This one look exactly like the Misaka she knew, except older by about two years. Just how many siblings did the Railgun have? What was next, Twins?

"We were saving your ass from becoming radioactive. And you can stop your perverted dreams 'cuz nothing happened. Now shut up, I want to eat breakfast," Accelerator shot back at the brunette.

"'Misaka thinks that Accelerator is just tired' says Misaka as Misaka tries to explain to the rude one subtly that she should stop teasing the boy."

"Well this Misaka doesn't have to listen to the control tower, so she can't tell this Misaka what to do."

"'Hump' Expresses Misaka as Misaka pouts at the unwanted unit."

Worst turned to the bewildered Saten watching the entire scene unfold. "Oh, just so we're clear, Accelerator belongs to this Misaka only-"

"I don't belong to anybody!" Accelerator yelled from the kitchen, looking up from his bowl of cereal.

"Oh don't say that. You know you want me! But then again, this Misaka will have grandchildren before you open up..."

"Whatever."

Saten sweat dropped and quietly squeaked that she should get going. When she was answered with the sounds of an arguing Accelerator and teenage Misaka, she slipped out of the house. Once on the outside, the young girl took a deep breath. She decided to go meet HER Misaka for some answers, and get an explanation on what on Earth exactly happened last night...

* * *

_A Certain Frog-Faced Doctor's Hospital_

Misaka 10032 looked out the window, silently listening to the exchange between the Control Tower and the Undesired from across the MISAKA network. It really wasn't anything new, the two units would regularly have their squabbles and most of the clones tuned them out. But today, Misaka Imuoto had nothing better to do. Having recently fixed her biochemical imbalance through an extensive operating procedure, she was told to keep her activities to a minimum and get plenty of rest for a speedy recovery. Normally, the the four clones residing at the hospital would help around the facility with filing reports and delivering food and medicine to other patients. But now, with one successfully treated for her ailments after three years of experimenting, the other three were lined up for operations as well. Even now, the other sisters from around the world were slowly coming back to Academy City to get treated by Heaven Canceler. Less information was being processed by the network as many sisters began boarding boats and planes, causing a void of information income. Not that the clones were disconnected, but what is there to process when all one sees is the expanse of the open sea or the glaring light of the upper stratosphere?

In short, Misaka Imouto was bored.

So is was no surprise when she abandoned her spectating of Worst and Last Order to divert her full attention to the report of two sisters who were based in Osaka.

Misaka 10893 and Misaka 13226 were two clones that had developed a sort of close sisterly bond, something that had helped the network grow in the emotional department a little more. Because of this, the two were addressed as the "Twins" ambiguously by the whole of the Network. But that wasn't what interested the clone in the hospital. What interested her was what they had experienced and were broadcasting it across the system as loud as they could.

_"'This Misaka has seen something unusual' reports Misaka with excitement and some level of awe"_

_"'Yes, it is just as Misaka 13226 has said, something out of the ordinary has occurred' agrees Misaka in tandem"_

_"'Yes yes, come and see' comments Misaka while urging the others to look through he network"_

What the two clones had seen was in short, an impossibility but none the less reality. Both 10893 and 13226 were in the Osaka Castle grounds when they had seen a short burst of electromagnetic waves in the sky. None of the Misakas could visualize Electromagnetic waves, save for the original and the third generation, and yet these two had seen them in the sky clear as day, even if only for a few seconds. Even powerful bursts like those from Mikoto couldn't be seen by them, only felt, making this occasion something puzzling.

_"'Have your esper levels increased somehow?' inquires Misaka 10032 in curiosity"_

_"'No,' answers Misaka as Misaka explains, 'If they have there would have been a sustained influx to the network signal'" _

_"Yeah, this Misaka would have felt it if any of you second generations leveled up"_

_"'Oh, have the little kid and the teenage emo stopped fighting?' comments Misaka 15000 from three thousand meters above the Pacific Ocean while trying out the sarcasm she learned while in the United States"_

_"'You really have become a Yankee my dear sister' retorts Misaka 14809 as she tries to show off the sophistication she acquired in Britain"_

_"A family reunion conference call, brilliant. This Misaka really needed a bunch of arguing voices in her head"_

_"'Nobody asked you, Third-gen' says Misaka 15000 as she throws a retort at the technically younger sister"_

_"Hey! This Misaka isn't that far behind you!"_

_"'My my, what do we have here? A cat-fight?' Interjects Misaka 12601 from Hong Kong as she eats her delicious dim sum"_

_"You're having food? At this hour?"_

_"'It is lunch time here Worst.' states Misaka 13904 from her seat next to Misaka 12601"_

_"'Oh oh oh! Are you having that wonderful steamed pork dish?' Asks Misaka as Misaka's stomach begins to-"_

Misaka Imouto decided that it was time to withdraw from the conversation. She looked out the window once more, pondering the Twins' observations in Osaka absentmindedly, eventually letting her mind drift off to other subject, including that of a certain spikey haired boy...

* * *

Touma and Mikoto were crowded together above a laptop in Touma's apartment bleakly staring at the monitor and the video that Aogami Pierce has so helpfully posted online. In the short time it took to grab Mikoto's keys, shove Tsuchimikado out of the apartment, and boot up the computer their little ten second show had gone viral with 800K views and still climbing. The two simply stared at the continually growing number of views with a sense of hopelessness.

"Such Misfortune..."

"No, I think the universe just hates us."

* * *

**YAY! IT'S DONE! Sorry for the short chapter and the late update. I originally had a 3500 word chapter written, but a lot of it didn't flow with the story, so I had to do a lot of cropping and editing. Anyways, hope you liked it! It was fun to experiment with the Sisters and play out their personalities, because I thought since they were spread out across the globe it would be exciting to see what cultures they had absorbed. As for the bed scene with our favorite couple, hehe... Just imagine it in anime form and you probably have enough fanservice to kill a thousand people with nosebleeds. Lol! Again, I hope you like this Chapter!**

**As always, Leave a much appreciated review and PM me if you have any ideas and questions!**

**-Shadow Shuriken**


	6. Chapter 5: Pick your Partners

Chapter 5: Pick your partners...

**aaand... WE'RE BACK! Thank you so much for all the support you've given me in the shot time that I've had to write my five little chapters! End of the Line has gotten over 3000 views since it's first chapter was published, and I am stoked. I would like to also thank my trusty keyboard for enduring me hammering the backspace button so many times, lol. In this chapter we start to explore the everyday shenanigans of the Kamijou group at their school, at home, and pretty much in general. Also we shall finally have a glimpse at who our Antagonist is. Also I will be replying to the the many reviews this story has received at the end of this chapter. In the meantime, enjoy my little fanfiction...**

**NOTE:** **(**_Insert joke here about not owning Toaru and its characters_**)**

* * *

Darkness

It fills the vast expanse of the cosmos known to us as outer space. Even when filled with galaxies and nebulas, the dark void still exists in the spaces between.

And it is one galaxy in particular that garners our attention. One that contains a planet, a planet filled with vast expanses of water and sky, with towering mountains that stand above the clouds, with green forests that stretch into the horizon, with rivers that run endlessly into the oceans...

And filled with death.

This is Earth, but not the Earth we know. For at the far edge of the Pacific Ocean, where the west becomes the east, there lies an island. An island that was once called "the land of the rising sun" by its inhabitants. A place that had a connection between nature, ancient traditions, and the new frontier of progress. Now, it is little more than a strip of land that has long been ravaged by war. The other countries fear it, and have long since abandoned interactions and policies in prayers that its conqueror would not target them next. No attempt of invasion or attack ever reached her shores, having been long wiped out in the sea surrounding it. Once it was called Japan, now it has no name.

On it's Eastern border, in an area that was once known as Tokyo, lies a the remains of a city that once stood as a center of this proud country. Fallen in the course of a single day, it now lies in ruins as a grim testament to the sheer power of the one who conquered it. In the middle of this desolate area, where charred land and crumbled buildings make up the bleak terrain, there still stands a building. A tall, white, and windowless tower that remains intact and seemingly unscathed. To the few people who still live in this scarred land, it represents not hope, but great fear. For in this tower lives the conquer of this land, a powerful individual. None see him, and he never comes out. He simply stays inside. He doesn't govern his land, instead letting it wallow in a state of anarchy as the streets are filled with gangs and thieves. There is no law, and chaos reigns supreme in the lives of those who still live here.

Inside the tower, in a dark room, the individual known as the Conqueror stands surrounded by screens. He silently observers the multitude of monitors, noting their contents and plotting his schemes, whatever they may be.

A young girl silently enters the room. She wears a simple stark white dress that tightly fits her form, restraining her movements slightly. She walks up to the man engrossed with his screens and kneels.

"Master" says the girl addressing the Conqueror. The man almost imperceptibly turns his head to look at her in acknowledgement.

"Sir, we are ready to try again. Do you wish to proceed as usual?"

"Yes," the man replies, "run the normal test and recordings. I shall be there shortly."

The girl nods and exits the room, her long hair trailing in the air behind her. The man watches her go, them turns back to the screens.

"Soon, Imagine Breaker, soon..." He says, reaching out to the screens. He turns to exit the room to follow the girl.

He steps into the light to reveal a well built young man, his hair slicked back and his red eyes piercing the darkness. A conceited sneer paints itself across his visage.

"Soon you will be mine."

* * *

"Soon you will be mine!" Komoe Sensei squeals at the large picture of the Daihaisei festival trophy.

Touma and company stand in the doorway to their classroom staring at their teacher silently, nobody quite sure what to say. Komoe continues to stare ogle-eyed at the poster on the wall, oblivious to the students behind her.

"Umm, sensei?" Fukyoise asks, trying to get their teacher's attention.

"Hmm?" The unusually short adult mumbles absentmindedly.

"Sensei!" Fukyoise repeats with a little more force.

"Huh? OH! Hello class! Oh, um, ah... I'm terribly sorry about that! Please, take your seats and forgive your sensei's absentmindedness!"

After the class had taken their places and did their class bow (which somehow ended with Touma banging his head on his desk) Komoe scrawled something on the board.

[Daihasei Festival: Preparations and Grading]

"WHAAAAAT?" The whole class erupted.

"But sensei! The Daihasei Festival is three months from now! The other schools haven't even registered yet!" Fukyoise exclaimed.

"Correct! That is exactly why I've brought this up. And yes, you are getting a grade that will count towards your school credit and your development points as an esper. Please be aware that the school's ranking as well as individual participation will be a part of the grading criteria."

"Sensei, that still doesn't explain why we're covering this now," Motoharu pointed out.

"Ahh, yes. The reason for that is partly due to the implements of grading this year, as well as our new additions to the student body. I don't need to remind you that last year's Daihasei was an absolute disaster. A complete lack of teamwork and coordination. If you people were graded that time, the entire school would have been playing no-eyed poker for a week!"

The entire class grimaced. No-eyed poker was one of the worst ways to spent detention and remedial classes. In the past year, Yomikawa and several other teachers had started to used the game as a means of punishment, making it well known as the weirdest and also most infamous methods used in the school. Some students even jumped out the window to try and escape it. Ever since, the windows got the additions of sliding screens.

"That is why," Komoe continued, "the teachers have decided to cut class time and extend physical education session as well as add after school hours. On Mondays and Thursdays morning class is cancelled and replaced with gym."

The class groaned

"Obviously the homework and projects will be reduced, but grading will apply to the effort you put into training. A failing grade means you have to do Newton's egg."

Most of the class sweatdropped. Hopefully this wasn't the start of a new trend of punishment...

"Now, please leave your things here and meet with the other classes in the school field. And Kamijou, Yomikawa wants you to meet her before you go down to join the rest of your class."

Kamijou let out a particularly loud sigh at the prospect or more exercise, mostly because he was still a little tired from yesterday...

o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o _Flashback_ o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o

"Damn it Aogami!" Touma cried out, running through the streets of Academy city.

"My thoughts exactly!" Mikoto yelled beside him.

The pair were trying to escape from a ridiculously large mob of high and middle schoolers led by none other than our dear Shirai Kuroko. Most were boys from Touma's school, while the others were fan girls of the Railgun.

The fan girls were the classic Kuroko type: "The lowly level zero has defiled our Idol/Onee-sama" and the rest.  
The boys were contenders for Misaka's heart (the ones that kept stuffing her locker with love letters) and were incredulous that some scrub like Kamijou even got the chance to be in the same room as her, let alone have her on top of him.

In short, neither the Imagine Breaker nor the Electromaster would have any rest until they escaped.

Kuroko teleported above Misaka, falling with arms outstretched. "Onee-sama! I shall save you from the-"

Mikoto silenced her with lightning and ran away from the charcoal statue on the ground, urging Touma to move faster.

It wasn't until past curfew that the exhausted pair got back to the apartments...

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Touma snapped back to reality to the sensation of daggers being stared in his direction. The boy looked up from his daze to see the entire class glareing at him. At the front of the room, a teary eyed Komoe sniffled.

"_You made her cry... You made her cry... You made her cry..._"

Touma withered on the inside as he fell victim to the power in his right hand yet again...

* * *

Kamijou walked down the hall and turned to face the teacher's room. Heading in, he found Yomikawa at her desk and Mikoto beside her.

"Hey Kamijou!" The gym teach cheerily greeted them. Mikoto looked away for some reason, Touma wondered what it could be...

"Here Yomikawa-sensei. This is the report you needed." Touma said, pulling a full paper envelop out from his bag.

"Thank you. I really appreciate your help in all this. Also, I hope you used protection the other night..."

_Oh. That's what Biribiri's upset about..._

"Nothing like that happened! She was just staying over at my place and fell of the bed. A friend barged into my apartment in the morning and took a video, that's all."

"If you says so. Anyways, thank you again for the report, agent."

"Wait, agent? What's all this agent stuff?" Mikoto interjected.

"Oh, he didn't tell you?" Yomikawa looked at Touma inquisitively.

"Ah... hehe... Long story short Mikoto, Yomikawa made me a special agent." Touma sheepishly explained. "Since I'm always getting dragged into stuff like this, she decided to make me an official associate of Anti-Skill. It's mostly just to bypass a lot of paperwork you would normally have to do if you were a civilian. Now I just write a report to Yomikawa-sensei and that's that."

"Not to mention special access privileges." Yomikawa added

"Special access?" Mikoto looked back at Touma

"Oh yeah! My ID card also acts as a high level security key. You know how security in Academy is rated from 1 to 6? I have level 5 access. I haven't used it yet though..."

**[A/N]: To explain this system, here are some examples: Level 1 access is civilian access like apartments and personal lockers. Level 2 is commercial security as in stores and businesses. Level 3 access is used by banks, judgement members, and your typical Anti-skill officer. Level 4 is granted to senior Anti-skill personnel and commonly used by underground organizations like GROUP. Level 5 is Military and Special-Ops level access, and Level 6 access is reserved for members of the Director's Board. There is also Level 7 access that only Crowley has, but nobody else knows about that...**

"Hold on, you have THAT kind of authroity?! Then that's what you were flashing at the guards that day..." Mikoto realized.

"He might be a bit of a klutz and a little dense, but he is mature and responsible enough for the position. Besides, he's had it for about a year already." Yomikawa evenly explained.

"Also," Touma added, getting unusually serious, "It should go without saying that not everybody can know about this. Obviously, if the news got out that I was a special agent for Anti-Skill the other students here would be in danger. A lot of misconceptions would be had as well; I don't do jobs for Anti-Skill like one would think. I'm just a supported associate, if that makes any sense. I'll explain the detail of my position later"

"unn..." Mikoto nodded. Touma was very rarely serious, but when he was it was usually for a good reason.

"Alright you two, run along. You're already late for gym as it is. Hurry up and change and I'll see you love birds in the in the gym!" The tall woman stated as she walked out of the room.

"I-it's not like that!" The pair yelled after her.

* * *

Touma and Mikoto raced out onto the school field to hear the voice Yomikawa-sensei blaring out on a megaphone.

"Alright people! As you know, the Daihasei is next month! We are going to step up our game this year and start training early this time around. To be efficient, you will be forming groups of 3-5 people. Try to find people to balance out the power of your members. Get to know your teammates well because they will be the people you are going to work with in the actual Daihasei events! Alright people, get moving!"

The entire student body was present on the field. Some students quickly sought their their friends while the stragglers got lobbed together. Touma was about to go find Tsuchimikado when he felt a hand on his shoulder. The startled boy whirled around to see the face of Yomikawa.

"Sorry Kamijou, but there's already a group you're assigned to."

And with that, she grabbed his hand and dragged him off the side. Once outside the crowd, she pointed to a small group of three people, telling him they were his other teammates.

Touma closed his eyes and sighed. He was really looking forward to working with Aogami and Tsuchimikado but as luck would have it, it was never going to happen. Head still lowered, he walked into the group and began introducing himself.

"Hi, I'm Touma Kamijou and I'll-"

"We all know who you are, frigging hero. Just shut up already"

Touma looked up in surprise at the voice that had cut him off and did a double take at who it was.

"Accelerator?!"

"Well hello there Kamijou. It's nice to see you again."

"Shokuhou!?"

"Hey, I'm here to! Idiot..."

"Biribiri!?"

Touma looked around him. Three level fives? Here? In one group? This was genius and insane at the same time. Genius because of the fact that this powerhouse team would really tip the scale in their school's favor in any event. Insane because none of them could stand each other. Already Shokuhou was arguing with Mikoto, and Accelerator was spouting things about being paired with third and fifth rates. And what was the Mental Out doing here?

Shokuhou wasn't sure why she was here herself. Originally she had come on the premise that the Ace was enrolling in this school. She wouldn't pass up the chance to continue her rivalry with the Electromaster for the world. What she didn't know was that Touma Kamijou also went to this school. The same Kamijou that she had met four years ago, the same Kamijou that had saved her from herself...

The same Kamijou she permanently injured trying to save his life.

Afterward the boy could barely remember her, and as a result she distanced herself from him. It was weeks before she got over her guilt and could finally compose herself. Normally she was a cheery girl with a joyous attitude, with an underlying sentimental side. Now she bore a scar beneath it all, one that she tried to forget for months before finally accepting its burden as a part of life and finding peace in seeing Kamijou live out his life with his friends. But now, seeing him almost on a daily basis, the scar was threatening to open up again. She knew full well of his kind heart and the misfortune that followed him. It was unfair; he didn't deserve such a cruel existence, and yet... he lived on with a smile and took it all in stride. He lived the best he could, only for the world to shun and despise him. The painting of his life was riddled with dents and cuts in almost every way imaginable. It was a shame to, for anyone would see the beauty of this picture, the picture of his life.

And then there was his memory loss. She didn't know how it happened, or what caused it, but what ever the case it still represented the same thing: a huge gash in that beautiful painting. It was as if it had been torn down the middle, the two halves shredded to minuscule pieces, and the pieces scattered to the wind. It was all lost, his memory, his former relationships, and, in effect, himself. And yet, the remnants of who he was, what he had been, continued to live. Selfless as he always was, treating his friends like he still remembered them. To him it was just another scar that came with life, like the scar on his back. It was a pain to be here with him, and now she was on a team with him. It was almost as bad as how comically un-athletic she was.

"Hello! Miss queeny? Shokuhou? Are you even listening to me anymore?" Mikoto was still on a rant against her.

"Yes I am, although I probably shouldn't be." Misaki flatly returned.

"What!? Why you dirty little-"

"Please, just stop arguing," Touma moaned. "If we are gonna do good in training, we need to cooperate..."

"Tch, why am I even here? I'm top dog in this city. I don't need to train for some ability competition." Accelerator muttered.

"This is a _sports_ competition Accelerator. If you haven't noticed, you walk with a cane and miss Queen here can barely walk 30 paces before getting winded." Mikoto snidely remarked.

"Well, excuse me for not liking being sweaty," Misaki pouted.

"That's no good, now is it?" Yomikawa said coming up behind them. "Well, for the next three months you're gonna get sweaty whether you like it or not."

The level five giggled. "Not if I can help it," Misaki said as she reached for her bag... only to find it gone. Shocked, she looked around her body desperately for her bag.

"Hah! Didn't think I would know about that little trick of yours, did you? Please, I'm not an Anti-Skill officer for nothing," the gym teacher laughed as she twirled the missing accessory around by its strap.

"But-? How did-?" Misaki stuttered, flustered that her bag had been stolen from right beside her.

"I know a thing or two about pick-pocketing," Aiho explained while grinning at the dumbfounded girl. "Now, I want ten laps around the field. Go!"

o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o _Twenty minutes later_ o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o

Touma and Mikoto stared at their fallen teammates in disbelief at how weak they were. Shokuhou was sprawled out like a ragdoll panting on the grass while Accelerator had wordlessly collapsed face first into the ground after his finishing run and hadn't moved since, aside from the occasional twitching limb.

Mikoto sniggered at sight and outright laughed when the teachers called for push-ups and squats.

* * *

"Ow ow ow..." Misaki moaned as she stiffly walked down the street. Accelerator looked none the better as he leaned on his cane like an old man.

The group had just finished their after school training and were going to Touma's apartment for dinner, at his invitation. Touma decided it was best if they took the bus.

When the group arrived at the apartment, they found an out of order sign on the elevators. This incurred a thirty minute hike up the stairs to Touma's apartment on the seventh floor, much to Misaki and Accelerator's chagrin. Touma and Mikoto had to practically carry them up the last three flights of stairs. When they got to the top, they saw Tsuchimikado, Aogami, Fukyose, and Himegami (another group training together) exit the elevator that was supposed to be out of order, apparently because the sign was taken down by the mechanic a couple minutes after Touma's group had started their climb. And now everyone wanted to join in on his dinner party.

"Such misfortune," Touma sighed.

"Oh, don't be such a drag Kamijou. I've seen what you bring to school. You must be a great cook!" Fukyose asserted.

"Funny you should say senpai, I've actually eaten it and it's amazing!" Mikoto declared.

"Yeah! C'mon, let us join your little party kami-yan~" Motoharu begged.

"Ok ok ok, I'll feed you all. Yeesh..."

The merry party made their way to Touma's room, innocently unaware of their impending plight. Before they could reach the door they all collapsed, blacking out.

As the group of friends slowly drifted into unconsciousness, they heard an Ominous voice...

_"I am coming for you"_

* * *

**WOOoooOOO... scary cliffhanger! Ahaha don't worry, I don't plan to kill anyone. Yet. Anyways, I want to thank you all for all your patience with my story. That is why I regret to inform you that this story will be on hiatus until June, WAAAH! I apologize for the wait but I have to study for the SAT and won't be able to get a chapter up until after it take it. But, I promise a big fat chapter as soon as I get back! But enough with the sad news. On to the QnA!**

**Q:** Lol, that was hilariouS! This was a good chapter, but sadley it was short. Took you a while to update tho. Question, who is the vilian in the story? Anyway, good luck with this story.

**A:** Thank you Karen! The villian is a completely made up character and not in any way related to the canonical Touaru universe. To be clear, he is responsible for Kuroko hearing the voices, and the emp pulse that the sisters saw.

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**Q:** I have no idea what's going on?

**A:** If you are referring to the prologue, I can understand how it is kinda confusing. It is supposed to be Touma's POV of a scene where he is dying after being severely wounded. If you might have guessed, this is the end" referred to in the story description.

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**Q:** really funny chapter, keep it up  
but I think that touma could very well have negated his problem with his right hand... ( ͡ ͜ʖ ͡)

**A:** umm, no. 1) Aogami pierce is not the one writing this fanfiction and 2) that would make Touma OOC

**Whelp, that just about covers it! Thank you again for your support! It is really appreciated. I will try to continue writing while I study, but I still don't think I can turn out a chapter until after the end of May. Wish me luck!**

**As always, leave a much appreciated review and PM me if you have any ideas or questions.**

**-Shadow Shruiken**


	7. Chapter 6: Premonition, pt 1

Chapter 6: Premonition, pt 1

**I'M BACK, BABY! [insert evil laugh here]. But really, I'm back. For reals. Here. Writing. Sorta. ANYWAYS... Before we begin, I want to warn you that this story is about to have it's first true "dark" moment. I did categorize this has a "Hurt/Comfort" story for a reason. Yes, I am not afraid to delve into things about facing death and people killing other people. I understand that this may be a bit too... heavy... of a topic for some of my readers. All I'm asking you is to steel yourself for about 900 or so words (which is really not that long, maybe a page and a half). That aside, LET'S GET TO IT!**

**NOTE: For the last time, I don't own Toaru! Darn layers...**

* * *

Touma felt weak. Not an unfamiliar feeling to him, but still unpleasant all the same.  
The world around him was an endless void of darkness, and what little light he could perceive through his murky vision illuminated only the ground beneath him. Everything around him was pitch black and his other senses were both shot and dull at the same time, as if they had been exposed to something extreme and then suddenly left alone. His mind was slow and his thoughts barely coherent.

Slowly, his senses woke up. He almost wished they hadn't. Steadily, the intense pain began to manifest in increasing increments. His vision cleared ever so slightly and his sense of position returned to him.

He became aware that he was suspended in the air just above the floor, and that his breathing was painful and shallow. Slowly, Touma tuned his head to look down. What he saw made his barely conscious mind panic, and had he been fully aware of himself he would have prayed it was a terrible dream.

Through his chest ran what looked like a metal cable. Easily as wide as two of his arms put together, it was covered in a dark red liquid that slowly dripped to the floor, staining it a sickeningly familiar shade.

Blood.

Even in his current mental state, Touma knew that it was supposed to be on the inside and not on the floor.

And that was only the beginning.

He could begin to feel his weight being supported by the cable as well as the agony that came with it. As pain from every inch of his apparently bruised body reached his mind, his brain was forcefully torn from the bliss of oblivion and forced into full gear; something that only served to make him more aware to the nerve-burning sensation his body felt.

He couldn't cry out in pain; he could barely groan his discomfort. His face was blank as much as it was pale. His entire being felt as if he was moving through thick syrup; everything took enormous effort to do. Even keeping his eyes open took considerable amounts of energy. But in complete, and perhaps horrific, contrast, his mind was now racing and sharp as the edge of Kanzaki's sword. He could feel every nerve singing a piercing orchestra composed from broken ribs and lacerations on a blood losing body.

His attention turned to the violent screaming coming from the synapses connected to his wrist. With what seemed like a herculean effort, he lifted his arm and turned to look.

Imagine Breaker was missing.

Blood was dripping from the place where his hand should have been, streaming forth in an almost inhumanly slow rate. He could feel his blood slowly dripping off the mangled wound and onto the ground with an almost silent "drip".

He dropped his hand and head, letting his body sag against the metal he was strung up on. Any tension in his muscles dissipated into nothingness as his body lost its resolve to fight, overcome from injury and blood loss. He hung there, unable to do anything to help himself but wait for death.

_Tap, Tap, Tap..._ Slow but steady foot steps sounded in the distance indicating that someone was coming, maybe some person who was going to come and finish him off, putting him out of his misery. _Tap, Tap, Tap..._ The footsteps were getting closer.

Whoever it was stopped just outside the patch of dimly illuminated ground. Touma closed his eyes and waited for the final blow he thought was coming.

Instead, he heard the soft sobs of what seemed like a crying girl. He strained his neck for all its worth, slowly lifting his head to look at the girl.

She was young, not much older than he was. Even though she was standing beyond the light, he could tell that she was hurt. Battered and bruised, and what seemed like a cut on her right cheek. As tears streamed down her face and onto the floor, she stepped into the light and gasped.

It was Mikoto. She stood before him, her shoulder length hazelnut hair was disheveled and her normally bright brown eyes were filled with shock and horror. She put up a hand as if trying to push away a ghostly specter, the other hand covering her mouth in shock. He didn't blame her. How else would someone react to a body strung up on a metal chord by his chest, missing a hand and bruised almost beyond recognition? Mikoto herself was sporting a broken arm and a few bruises of her own, but nothing as intense as Kamijou. Her face was one that showed fear, concern, shock, and hopelessness simultaneously.

She spoke, her voice soft and timid from crying. "Touma... please... don't die... don't leave me... I... I can't... please..."

Suddenly, the wind cut through the area. As the air licked their ears and faces, Mikoto grabbed onto Touma and hugged tight, as if she were scared that the wind would blow Kamijou away and out of her grasp. Above all, a low and almost silent voice carried over the wind, saying a singular word.

"Soon..."

Kamijou found the strength to somehow place his remaining hand on the crying Misaka's shoulder. He wanted to comfort her, keep her from crying, make her happy. He made a promise to protect her smile, damnit! How was he supposed to do that if he was dead? He had to live, somehow, for her sake. The terrified girl looked up at him, and he used whatever was left of his strength to give her that warm smile that he used to cheer her up. It wasn't much, but it was something. He wouldn't give up. He couldn't. He had friends waiting for him. A crying girl who needed him. He had to fight!

But in the end it was futile. His vision began to fail him, and his consciousness started to slip away from reality. He put up a fight, but that just seemed to force him out of his body even more. In a last ditch effort, he called out her name in his mind for all he was worth to the world...

* * *

"Mikoto!"

Touma sat up with a jolt, snapping out of his hellish nightmare. A nightmare about... what? What kind of a dreamscape would make him remember a promise from two years ago? As he searched for the reason, the remaining vapors of last night's memories scattered like dust in the wind. But as his recollections faded, he found a concrete aspect and put a death grip around it, burning it into his memory.

He was hurt and couldn't help Mikoto. That much he knew for certain, but the reason why still evaded him.

His thoughts were cut off as a brown haired girl burst into the room.

"Touma! You're awake, thank goodness!" the girl exclaimed as she teared up. "I thought... I thought you'd never open your eyes again..." She fell onto Touma's lap, crying.

Touma took the opportunity to look around. He was dressed in a hospital gown and lying in his reserved room in the hospital. The table next to him was filled with cards and fruit baskets. _'How long was I here for?'_ Kamijou wondered. He turned to the window outside. The sky outside was a faint blue, indicating the early hours of the morning. '_I've been here for at least twelve hours. When we met at my apartment it was six in the afternoon..._' The boy looked back to the emotional mess trying to bury her face in his leg. Mikoto herself was slightly pale and her eyes were underlined with bags. He must have worried her a lot.

"Hey," Touma said quietly.

"Hay is for horses, and I'm not one," Mikoto answered in equal tones.

The two of them remained there for a few minutes enjoying the time they had together, completely unaware of the chaos happening outside the room's closed door...

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"NO! NO NO NO NO! ONEE-SAMA IS MIIIIIIINE!" Kuroko cried out. She was barely restrained by Uiharu and Saten.

"Shirai-san, please don't! Let them enjoy it!" Uiharu pleaded.

"Yeah girl, calm down a bit. It's not like they're kissing or anything..." Saten agreed.

"Not kissing? NOT KISSING?! Explain THIS then!" Shirai whipped out her phone, presenting her two companions with a certain ten second video.

"Oh..." Saten said bleakly. She certainly hadn't seen this video.

"That, is not true love," Uiharu humphed. Suddenly, her face changed and a dreamy look appeared in her eyes. "True love... it would be when a young man sweeps up a heart aching maiden into his arms, when two people embrace in unending affection for each other, when a child is the result of a happy union..."

Both Saten and Kuroko stared at her with comical looks of disgust. Unabashed, Uiharu went on with her rant about the perfect places for love to happen.

* * *

"So I've been asleep for how long?" Touma asked a certain frog-faced doctor. Mikoto had left the room, asking him to drop by her place later.

"Well," Heaven Canceler hesitated, "before I tell you, I should warn you that the answer might come as a bit of a shock."

"I think I can handle it. I mean, I do have amnesia after all."

"Okay... You've been out for almost a week, five days and 13 hours to be exact."

"Five days huh?" Touma said to himself. He turned to the Doctor. "Do you know what happened? Last I remember I was outside my apartment with my friends. I hope they didn't get hurt..."

"We don't know what happened exactly. The Judgement officer that found all of you said that you were all unconscious when she found you," The Heaven Canceler replied.

"Wait, everyone else was knocked out? Are they okay?"

"No need to panic, most of them woke up the next morning. Accelerator was asleep for two days, and Miss Misaka was out for three. Shokuhou even managed to come around within twelve hours, thanks to her ability."

Touma sighed with relief. "You're sure you don't know what caused of this?"

"Yes. What we do know is that when you all were admitted to here you were experiencing brain levels equivalent to REM sleep. It is possible that a mental ability user could have knocked you unconcious, but I find it hard to believe that Mental Out could be rendered unconscious so easily by an esper. We know it couldn't be physical attack because there was no injury or bruising, and there were no trace elements of sedatives in any of your systems. It's really a remarkable case, eight people black out at the same time for unknown reasons. We tried to study the possible causes, but we haven't gotten anything..."

Touma was only half listening at this point. His mind was trying to work out the cause of the situation, but no matter which way he sliced the problem he kept coming back to only one possible explanation.

* * *

_London, United Kingdom_

Stiyl Magnus was sitting outside a bakery shop with a look of exasperation on his face. If this kept up, his wallet would soon be more dry than the bottom of death valley in America. He was almost thankful when his phone rang to distract him from his current situation.

"Hi."

"_Hello? Style? This is Kamijou. Is Index there?_"

Style struggled to change gears from English to Japanese, something didn't really improve his mood.

"What do you want?"

"_I need to speak to Index please. This is something important._"

"Well, you're (ironically) in luck," Stiyl said as he watched a certain nun and archbishop exit the bakery. "Hey Index," he called out, tossing the phone. "It's for you."

Index caught the phone with some difficulty as she was holding several bags of pastries. "Hello? Who is this?"

"_Index? This is Kamijou. You know, your friend in Academy City?_"

"OH! Touma! It's so good to hear from you! How are you?" Index chirped.

"_I've been... better. Anyways, I wanted to ask you about something._"

"Huh? About what?"

"_I need to know if there are any spells that can render several people unconscious and leave behind no trace._"

"Hmm... There is a spell that can modify brain waves directly, but it only works on one person at a time. It also requires the caster to be nearby and in complete meditation. There are other spells that can cause many people to black out, but those manipulate chemicals in the air or blood, which would leave behind evidence. Most magicians prefer to alter the environment rather than directly effect the brain because complete mind manipulation is so hard to achieve. Doing so would require an almost inhuman amount of calculation power. Understand that brain waves are very complicated and the most advanced magicians still have difficulties controlling one mind, let alone many. Currently, most forms of direct mind control use suggestion rather then complete control and require a semi willing subject. It can't forcibly cause the mind to lose consciousness. The best it could do is suggest the victim to fall asleep, and that is questionably successful at best." Index answered, citing the many books of knowledge in her mind. "Why do you want to know?"

"_It's nothing. Just wondering. Anyways, can I speak with Stiyl again, please._"

"Okay, sure," Index replied. "Here you go!"

"What's up?" Stiyl said, taking back his phone. "You seem suddenly interested in magic. Anything wrong?"

"_Yeah... Do you if there were any magicians that traveled to Academy City?_"

"Other than Tsuchimikado, there isn't anyone magical there right now that I know of. Why do you ask?"

"_About five days ago, a group of friends and me suddenly blacked out. I'm pretty sure It wasn't an esper, because one of my friends that was with me should be practically invincible to esper based mental attacks. I thought it could have been magic, but since Tsuchimikado was knocked out as well, and since he's the only other one here that's a magician, I don't think it could have been that. Listen, do me a favor and try and keep Index out of Academy city for a while. I think something bad might happen soon, and I don't want to get her involved._"

"I can do that. Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to her. That is my job, after all."

"_Thanks. I'll talk to you later._" Touma hung up.

Laura Stuart cocked her head inquisitively. "Stiyl, who was that?"

"Our Imagine Breaker friend. Seems he's gotten into some sort of mischief, as usual."

"Touma's in trouble?" Index asked, worried.

"He said it's nothing major, just some trouble with an esper is all." Stiyl lied. He didn't want to worry Index and cause her to run off to Japan. He cast a meaningful look to the archbishop, and she nodded. The matter would be pursued privately another time.

"Right. Come on Index, let's go back to the church and enjoy our cake!"

"Yay!"

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Touma closed his phone and looked at Mikoto. He felt worried. Whatever his dream was, it made him feel there would be a massive disaster in the future.

And with his luck, he was probably right.

* * *

**OOoooOOOh, scaaaary... LOL! Anyways, that it for this chapter. I originally planned this to be much, much longer, but it seemed too much of a stretch of a single chapter so I broke it into two parts. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and again, I apologize for the late uploads. My life is really hectic right now, and I have very little time to write. Don't worry, I'll still continue writing for you guys, so relax and be a little patient. I look forward to you reading my next chapter soon.**

**As always, please leave a much appreciated review and PM me if you have any ideas and/or suggestions.  
-Shadow Shuriken**


	8. Chapter 7: Premonition, pt 2

Chapter 7: Premonition, pt 2

**I'm back, new chapter, some sort of hype, all the usual bullcrap that I normally write here. YAY! I'm done, can we start the chapter already?**

**[Note: All Toaru characters and elements belong to Kazuma Kamachi, blah blah blah...]**

* * *

Touma closed his phone and looked over at Mikoto. If his guts were right, something really bad was going to happen soon. But, he couldn't worry about that right now as he had more pressing matters to attend to...

It was a Sunday and Kamijou had a mountain of homework waiting for him. Just because he was comatose in a hospital for five days didn't mean he was exempt from assignments. Komoe Sensei wasn't the type to let her students slack off for any reason. Touma could hear her already "_Now, now Kamijou. If you don't keep your scores up you'll never get better. Skill isn't something that comes without practice..._"

And so, the unfortunate mister Kamijou now had a stack of homework sitting in front of him. Touma sighed, might as well get it over with. At least a certain electrical math expert ojou-sama was here to help. Well, technically she wasn't the only good mathematician in the room...

"Come on Accelerator-san! With your power, you must have great math ability!" Misaki pleaded with the moody albino.

"I am not doing some freeloader's work for them. I already did the last five problems for you, do it yourself." Accelerator said pointedly. It was obvious he was starting to get annoyed.

"But you didn't explain it well! Pleeeeeeeease?"

"No"

"But-"

"No"

"Aww, c'mon..."

"Still no"

"Whaaa! Misaka-chan! Accelerator is being mean!"

"Why should I care? I'm already working on something! You're a mental ability user, how are you this dumb?"

"I am not a dunce!"

"Will you just shut up already!?"

"humph, Nobody asked you, Accelerator-san..."

Touma sighed. With the way things were, the morning was looking to be a long one.

* * *

"Finally! No more homework, no more arguing level 5s, just a delicious home cooked food." Mikoto exclaimed with relief. The others had finished their work and were out roaming academy city for lunch on their own.

Touma looked up from the fish in the frying pan. "Was it really that bad?"

The Railgun scoffed. "You have no idea. All the level 5's have this thing about competition. Everyone tries to outdo everyone else. Put two of 'em in a room, and sooner or later they'll be at each other's throats."

"Does that include you?" Touma asked, smirking.

"yeah... I guess." Mikoto paused, thinking. "I mean, I'm happy being ranked number three and all, but I just can't stand the thought of being beaten by some wannabe."

"Well, I guess you have to retain some sort of dignity," The boy said grinning.

"Like you understand! It's not just dignity, it's our pride as high tier espers. You're just a level zero! You have no idea what we go through."

"Maybe, but I still have something of a reputation. There are people who count on me to be reliable when I'm needed."

The Railgun sighed. "I give up, you don't understand what it is. Honestly, you're so dense at times..."

Touma raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "Really? How am I dense?"

This just about made Misaka boil over "Really!? You don't know?! You miss the mood of the moment sometimes, you don't pick up on social ques, and you never seem to notice how much I Lo-..."

...

_SH**! I almost said it out loud!_

"How much you what?" Touma scratched his head. This girl was not making any sense.

"H-How much I-I-I... Like Gekota!" Mikoto managed to squeeze out.

"Really? Well, I knew you were really into it, but I never knew you were full otaku about that frog."

"J-just shut up, baka!" Mikoto blushed madly as she desperately searched for a distraction.

"Your fish is burning."

"Huh?" Touma looked down to see a blackening chunk of swai sitting in a puddle of oil. "AHH! TurnOffTheFireTurnOffTheFireTurnOffTheFire! Such misfortune!"

Mikoto giggled. He might be dense, but he could also be such an adorkable klutz sometimes...

* * *

_Tokiwadai Dormitories_

"ARRRGH!" Kuroko had been rolling around on the bed sheets incessantly for the past hour, pushing everything else on it out of order.

Her roommate, Kiyomi Yamakawa, took passive interest in the upheaval of blanket and pillow happening on the mattress barely two feet from her own. If the year and a half she had spent with Kuroko as her new living partner had taught her anything, it was that nothing she said would make the teleporter calm down. The best course of action at times like this was to let the hot mess simmer down on her own. The ranting would come eventually...

"WHY? WHY?! Why would she choose that ape of a man over me?!"

There it was.

Kiyomi sighed. Personally, she was a girl of action and preferred to do things with her two hands rather than talk about it. Quite fitting actually, since her ability was named "Physical Amplify". Nothing special or complicated, simply the ability to enhance or amplify certain aspects such as strength or sight by about tenfold.

It was a shame it didn't enhance her patience; she was close to snapping already.

"Really Kuroko, I think it's time you gave this a rest. I mean, she's already graduated and all."

"NO! I will not give up on onee-sama! I am the only one for her!"

Kiyomi rolled her eyes. This certainly wasn't the first time she heard this and she was pretty sure it wouldn't the last.

Little miss Shirai, oblivious to her roommate's indifference, prattled on. "He's an idiot, a klutz, a filthy womanizer, a lowly troglodyte, and not to mention an impossibility! That weird power of his, it's not possible! I refuse to believe-"

Again, Kiyomi sighed and rolled her eyes. She had about enough of this.

"c'mon, we're going out to get lunch," Kiyomi stated, grabbing the girl by the shoulder and dragging her out of the room. Kuroko didn't seem to notice as she continued to ramble on about why she was better than a certain unfortunate boy.

o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o _Fifteen minutes later _o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o

Kuroko dropped a bento box on the counter next to Yamakawa's. They were at a convenience store run by Kiyomi's aunt, the only relative she had in the area. Her parents lived in the Iwaki prefecture and though she called and visited them on vacations, her aunt had become something of a second mother to her. Not to mention, she also took care of Kiyomi's pet husky Fang...

"That will be 1500 yen total. Anything else Shirai-san?"

"No, that will be all. Thank you Yamakawa-sama." Kuroko leaned over the side of the counter and called out. "Let's go, Kiyomi!"

"Just a sec!" The girl called from the back. "Fang made a chocolate and I need to take it out."

Kuroko shuddered. She wasn't really into pets and the responsibility of cleaning their waste, and it didn't help that Kongo still had that repulsive snake in the dorms. She still had the occasional nightmare where that thing got loose and started eating everything.

The teleporter decided that it was best if she stepped outside. She scooped up the bentos and made a quick exit out the front door and situated herself on a bench outside.

A minute passed, then five. Kuroko didn't dare think about what that girl was doing with the fecal products of a canine. She forced her mind elsewhere and very quickly found herself pondering the interesting case of her precious Onee-sama. Knocked out for five days and then suddenly recovering with no side effects? It was interesting indeed.

She suddenly became aware of something strange in the field of her hearing. It was barely audible, but it sounded like...

whispers...

As if the voices were aware of her noticing them, they quickly increased in volume. They drowned out all ambient noise, and were beginning to intrude on her thoughts. Kuroko whipped her head from side to side trying to identify the source of the sounds, but there was no one around. As the voices continued to whisper louder and louder, the girl felt panic set in. There was something, something about those voices. They sounded... malicious... maddening... intrusive...

For reasons that Kuroko couldn't understand even afterwards, something in her mind broke.

She keeled over, hands clutching her hears. Fear and panic increased exponentially, and her sight lost focus of the world around her. She shut her eyes and grabbed at her ears trying to cut them off, but still they came. Indecipherable, incomprehensible, unexplainable whispers. Voices so loud she could hear only them. She screamed at the top of her lungs, maybe to assure herself that she was still thinking, maybe simply out of fear. Either way, she couldn't her her own voice. Primal instinct kicked in, spawning a frenzied urge to jut GET AWAY. Somewhere, anywhere, just not here. She was no longer thinking straight, simply acting on impulse. She ran a few paces, trying to loose the voices, but still they followed. Kuroko screamed even harder, if that was even possible at this point. She started teleporting rapidly, both by instinct and at random locations. No matter where she went, wherever she jumped to, she still heard the whispers. Sanity long gone, the girl was now in an animalistic state of fear. She was caged by these whispers, these voices, and they were crushing her. She just wanted it all to stop.

Very abruptly, it did.

* * *

**OooOOh, cliffhanger... LoL! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as it was long overdue. I apologize for that, and I feel like you all deserve an explanation. Long story short, I was applying for a job as a Lifeguard but I was held up due to complications with paperwork transfer. My forms and documents were effectively lost and I had to spend considerable time trying to get them back. Even then, it was a hassle to get them approved. Also, during this time I encountered writer's block, and I still have a bit of it to work out. That aside, I will try to write more often as my schedule is no longer a mess.**

**A shout-out to BeePhenominal, the person who came up with the character concept for Kiyomi. I spent a lot of time with her developing this OC character and I want to give credit where credit is due: She did a really good job. I look forward to working with her more in the future.**

**As always, please leave a much appreciated review and PM me if you have any ideas or suggestions.  
-Shadow**


	9. Chapter 8: The new girl

Chapter 8: The new girl

**Ahh, it's good to be back... Hey everyone, thank you for being so patient with me and my problems. Seriously, it's just one problem after another and I don't get a break, yeesh. Anyways, I'll keep this part short 'cuz I know you all want to read the chapter. Enjoy!**

**[NOTE: I do not claim any ownership of the Toaru Universe or its characters. All original works belong... why are you still reading this?]**

* * *

Kiyomi Yamakawa was not in the best of moods.

She was concerned and annoyed (among other things) about the situation at hand.

Concerned because her friend just had a psychotic break and then just passed out.

Annoyed because it was barely 1:30 in the afternoon, a time when she should have been taking a nap in the dorms after a fulfilling meal. Instead she was carrying an unconscious Kuroko to the hospital on her back in the hot sun.

The girl sighed. She hadn't even eaten lunch yet and here she was, doing her evening workout much earlier than planned. Maybe she COULD use physical amplify, but what fun would that be? Kiyomi was an individual that believed in integrity. Her personal philosophy was that esper powers were like any other natural abilities and shouldn't be exclusively depended on. After all, she had to have some kind of standard to adhere herself to, right?

Then again, Kiyomi was anything but patient: she enjoyed the thrill of the moment that came with an adrenaline rush. Her long list of challenged duels and fistfights (most of which were issued by her), testified her eagerness to spring into action. For a time, this even garnered her a nickname in the alleyways and riverbanks that served as the arenas in the underworld of esper fighting rings: "Challenge Fighter". Kiyomi smiled: she still remembered the day she got that name, from accepting a challenge from Gunha of all people...

The Physical Amplify user was shaken from her thoughts by a long whistle.

"Hey beautiful! Why don't cha' ditch your friend there and have some fun with me?"

She narrowed her eyes and pointedly ignored the swooning man. This was another part of life that exasperated her to no end. Being a longtime fitness/sport fanatic had the benefit of giving her an athlete's body. Kiyomi honestly didn't like flaunting her looks but was still well aware of the allure she held for some people. The reminder usually came in the form of a girl asking about her amazingly flat stomach or a boy awkwardly complimenting her buttocks and thighs.

"Oi! I'm talking to you, girly!"

Kiyomi continued walking. _Ignore him and just walk away... Ignore him and just walk away..._

She felt a big hand roughly grab her by the shoulder

Three seconds later, the would-be assailant was sitting on the sidewalk pavement with a sore cheek wondering how a middle school girl carrying another girl could turn around so quickly and punch him with enough force to throw him back a good two meters.

Kiyomi grumbled again. She was definitely not in the best of moods today...

* * *

A certain frog-faced doctor looked at the clipboard in his hands. Another esper, knocked out by unknown means, the ninth one in less than a week.

Heaven Canceler sighed and looked up from the papers in his hand at the patient lying in bed. Fourteen year-old Kuroko Shirai, longstanding member of the Judgement organization. Level 4 teleporter and former roommate of the famous level 5 Railgun.

The wizened man narrowed his eyes. This was getting worrisome. It was not normal to get this many people admitted for the same mysterious reason, especially when three of them are level 5s. It was time for a phone call...

Kiyomi, who was standing near the bed turned to see the doctor getting up. She was no stranger to the hospital, in fact she had come here in a stretcher more than once herself. She knew that a doctor, especially this doctor, didn't just get up without giving his diagnosis. The concern on her face deepened as she realized that the situation was more sever than she thought. She looked expectantly at the doctor, her eyes pleading for an explanation of some kind. The doctor returned her gaze and there was a silent moment of understanding between the two.

He didn't know what was wrong, but he would do everything in his ability to keep his patient alive.  
She would trust in the doctor and his skill wholeheartedly.

Heaven Canceler left the room, determined to get to the bottom of these incidents and protect the well being of his patients. He strode down the hallway to his office, walking in and locking the door behind him. Sitting down at his desk, he picked up a phone and called a number on the speed dial. The phone picked up on the second ring.

"_Hello, old friend_"

"Crowley, we need to talk..."

* * *

Mikoto rushed to the hospital as fast as she could. After a little argument with Touma concerning the chibi fairy that was sleeping on his kitchen cupboard, she had gotten a call from the hospital. Shirai had been admitted into the ER. As overly obsessed with the Level 5 as she was, she was still a good friend and a reliable companion. She had to go, no questions asked.

Touma ran along with her. He knew this Shirai Kuroko. Even if she didn't like him very much, he still considered her a friend. If Imagine Breaker had any possibility of helping he would use it.

The two ran through the front, using Touma's security access to bypass the check-in at the front. Running up the stairs and bursting in on the room Kuroko was currently in. A girl sitting on a chair stood up in surprise.

"Who are-"

"Friends" Mikoto replied curtly. She sidestepped the girl and walked up to the bed; her first concern was Kuroko. Touma followed close behind. He looked the teleporter over, quickly scanning for injuries. Finding none, he placed his right hand on Kuroko's forehead.  
Nothing.  
Imagine Breaker didn't react, indicating there was nothing supernatural here. Whatever had caused her condition was gone, leaving behind a comatose mind. He turned to Misaka and shook his head. The Railgun started to get frantic. If his hand didn't do anything, what was this? Could nothing help? would Shirai be trapped like this forever? Would she-

Her freight train of thought was thrown off its rails when she felt a hand on he shoulder. It was Touma.

"Relax, the doctor can get her back. You know she's in good hands."

Mikoto took a deep breath and calmed herself down. He was right. Doctor Gekota was the best doctor in all of Academy City; he wasn't called Heaven Canceler for nothing.

"Excuse me, but I would like to know what relationship you two have with my roommate."

Touma and Mikoto whirled around to face the other girl in the room, whom they nearly forgot about.

"Oh! I'm sorry for being rude, my name is Mikoto Misaka" The electromaster answered, extending her hand.

At the mention of the Railgun's name, Touma noticed something change in this new girl. His battle instincts alerted him to something, but it wasn't danger. The boy tried to place a finger on what it could be. After a few seconds he figured it out.

Her body posture had shifted almost imperceptibly.  
The muscles in her legs and arms had tensed up.  
Hands that were originally open were slowly closing into fists.

Was she... nervous?

Almost a quickly as he had seen it, it vanished. The girls was relaxed again, or so it looked. Touma got the vague feeling she was forcing herself...

"Misaka, huh? So you're my predecessor. I'm Kiyomi Yamakawa, Kuroko's current roommate, Level 3." The girl smiled, shaking the hand of mikoto. She turned to Touma, "And you are?"

"Touma Kamijou. Acquaintance of Kuroko." Touma said. There was something bothering him about this girl...

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. A nurse poked her head in. "Excuse me, is miss Misaka here? Someone claiming to be your sister is waiting in the Kamijou room."

"Really? Darn it, she has really good timing." She turned to Kiyomi, "I'm sorry about this. I'll be right back."

Kiyomi watched her leave and them turned to raise an eyebrow at Touma. "Kamijou room?"

Touma sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Umm, I guess you could call me a bit of a regular here."

"Enough of a regular to get your own room? You must get into fights a lot."

"Nah, I'd say that I'm just really unfortunate."

Kiyomi laughed. "Hah! That's a new one. Honestly though, you've gotta have a long battle record."

"I guess you could say that I have... experience."

"Yeah! I mean, to be hanging around the third Level 5 you've got to be pretty good. What's your level?"

"umm... zero..."

"WHAT!? No way! You're pulling my leg."

"Nope, honest-to-God Level 0. Lowest Level Development Test score in Academy city for ten years and running."

"You're joking. Why on earth would the Railgun...?"

Touma smiled. "What? She's not who you thought she was?"

"Yeah..."

Touma pressed forward. There was something he wanted to confirm. "Hey, you seemed tense earlier, you know, when she was here. Do you guys have a history together?"

The girl lowered her head. "No, not directly. I just... have bad experience with upper level espers..."

* * *

"_Hmm... is that so? This is certainly worrying. That aside, I can assure you that none of this is my doing my friend._"

"Aleister, you need to get to the bottom of this. This is your area of expertise, not mine. The best I can do is keep the patients alive, but you need to help make sure that they aren't in that condition in the first place."

"_I understand your concern. I will investigate a bit and then tell you what I find. In the meantime, keep an eye on the effected students and tell me if anything else develops._"

"Fine. I'll talk to you soon." The doctor hung up. He looked back at his papers and sighed.

Here they were again, beginning the plunge headlong into another crisis.

* * *

**FINALLY! A NEW CHAPTER! WORDS! STORY! EXCITEMENT? I DON'T KNOW! Haha, sorry for the late Chapter. I had a lot of business going on the past month, and my writing time was very sparse. Between work, school, and three family vacations, writing sessions were few and far between. Please forgive Shadow-sama... (makes puppyface). LOL. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I know it was a little short, but I felt that you guys needed a chapter soon so I did the best I could. I hope it was acceptable. **

**As always, please leave a much appreciated review and PM me if you have any questions or ideas.  
(Seriously. I really appreciate your reviews.)**


	10. Chapter 9: Defining Past

Chapter 9: Defining Past

**HEY I'M BAAAACK! Sorry about the long wait, I've been very busy with college apps and other things. Thankfully, I now have time to write and I hope this reaches you guys as soon as possible! Thanks to all the support from my readers and those who have stuck with me for so long. So, without further delay, END OF THE LINE CHAPTER 9!**

**[Note: I don't own this universe, period.]**

* * *

_5 years ago_

_"No ability Kiyomi, No ability Kiyomi..."_

_The children sang for what seemed like forever while kicking or dancing around a crying little girl. The girl was sitting on the ground, hugging her legs while burying her face in her knees. They were in the corner of the school playground, where the teachers never looked. Almost every recess was either like this or spent trying to hide from her tormentors. _

_She sat there and cried, hoping that someone would come help. But nobody came. The teachers never looked back here, and any other student that saw what was going on either ignored what was happening or joined in with the beating and teasing. She couldn't tell the teachers, because then the others would just beat her up even more, and she couldn't defend herself. _

_But even worse then that, they were right._

_Kiyomi had no abilities. She had transferred into Academy City in the middle of her third grade year and, as a result of her good grades, was placed into a class filled with established espers. They all had gone through the Ability Development Program, and the only reason she was in that class was because of her educational merit. She hadn't gone through the program, so she had no power. She was lagging behind her classmates in that aspect, something that naturally became a subject of tease and bullying..._

_Nothing could change it; if she had no power, she had no power. Even if the rest of her class were mostly Level 1s (Level 2 at best), they still had ground over her status of barely being qualified as an esper in the first place._

_Eventually, Kiyomi decided that if the teachers weren't going to help, she would defend herself. She took classes in martial arts, and practiced for days. She was determined to become strong and gain the strength to stand against the bullies that haunted her playground hours._

_She remembered the day she first punched a student in the gut. He had tried to kick her and tease her, but ended up on the ground instead. Kiyomi was a fairly reasonable girl, and struck a deal with her would-have-been bully. Spread the word that the level zero was not to be messed with, and they would leave school with all their teeth inside their mouths. A few bullying attempts later, she was left alone for good. But the teasing continued._

_Yomikawa bore the nickname of "No ability Kiyomi" for a long time. At first, she tried to ignore the teasing. Then it became annoying. After that, despair and fear that she would never develop an ability. Finally, it got to a point of becoming a near trigger for violent outbursts. There were days where Kiyomi would come home with bleeding palms because she would clench her fists in anger and her nails would draw blood._

_She was smart. She saw that if she didn't put more effort into becoming an upper Level, she would continue falling down the spiral staircase of negativity. She became resolute in becoming strong, to become the strongest there was, so no one would bully her again..._

_It wasn't until her final year of primary school that she developed her ability._

* * *

_In the Present_

Kiyomi stared at the boy standing in front of her. The boy that somehow, despite being a Level 0, managed to be considered equal or better than the Railgun.

...

Impossible. There had to had to be some sort of explanation.

The Physical Amplify user looked over the boy again, trying to figure out what secret he was hiding.

His spiky hair and blue eyes were distinctive yes, they didn't indicate a hidden ability. He was muscular, yes, but that only suggested that he used his physical traits more and not his ability, if he had one. But other than that, he looked incredibly plain with no special traits.

But if that was the case, what on earth qualified him to be with the Railgun? Not that there was something wrong with that, but the fact that he hung out with her perplexed her. Was the Railgun just friendly? No. From what she had heard from her roommate, Mikoto Misaka was nice, but far from being a social bug. The way she and this Touma boy acted around each other indicated a well tried relationship, something that only came with extended knowledge of the other person. They possibly met each other while Mikoto was still in Tokiwadai. Why would the Number Three Esper in all of Academy city go out of her way from an all-girls school to be friends with a boy?

There was only one way Kiyomi could fully address her curiosity; with a duel.

She gabbed Touma's arm "Come with me!"

"Wait, what?!"

"Just come with me!"

Kiyomi practically dragged Touma from the hospital all the way to the riverbank. She turned to the her captive.

"Fight me"

"What?" Touma was confused. He was just dragged to the riverbank underneath the bridge in district seven by a middle school girl, and then told to fight. It couldn't be more disorientating than this.

Kiyomi glared at the teenage boy. "I said fight me"

"Why? I just met you! Did I do something to you before?"

"What? No, I want to know what makes you so special. You obviously have some special quality if you hang around with the Railgun"

"We're just classmates-"

"No, it can't be just that. There has to be something else. Now fight me!" Kiyomi launched a punch straight at Touma.

Touma dodged and back stepped. Was this girl serious?

Using her ability, Kiyomi rushed in and closed the gap. Twisting her body, she threw an uppercut to Touma's chin.

Touma dodged again, spinning to his right. She was serious, and that last movement suggested a speed ability. Touma narrowed his eyes. If he didn't want another doctor's bill, he needed to get serious too.

Kiyomi feinted a face punch, then sped around Touma and then tried to punch the back of his head. Touma ducked and dodged again. This guy had experience, no doubt about it. Only well seasoned fighters could anticipate her speed as quickly as he had.

Kiyomi went for a spinning crecent-to-back kick enchanced with speed, followed by a quick snake strike. Touma dodged both kicks and batted the hand strike away with his left hand. Kiyomi mad more mental notes. Fast reflexes, but not formally trained...

The girl stepped back a few paces and then jumped a full eight feet into the air towards Touma. This surprised most fighters if they didn't know her ability set, and she sure didn't tell him hers.

The boy jumped to the side and away from her landing spot. Kiyomi looked at the boy, expecting a face of shock. Instead she saw a hard face, completely unfazed. This Touma guy had either seen something similar or was ready for anything from the start. She got the eerie feeling that he was a lot more dangerous than he looked. Shaking her head, the girl continued to throw punches and kicks, and Touma dodged and evaded each one. Eventually it became clear to her that he wasn't just dodging, he was reading her like an open book.

Move for move, he managed to step out of the way and dodge the hands and and feet that came flying at him at speeds far beyond what a normal person could manage. What skill did he have? Telepathy? No, she had fought those kinds of people before and they had a delay in reading her mind and then moving, something her speed had always dealt with. But then, if not that, how was he reading her movements? Gritting her teeth in frustration, she decided to go for a finishing blow. She jumped back and then planted her feet. First curling her legs then pushing forward in an AIM fueled leap, Kiyomi pulled back her arm into a position that could only be preparation for a fully powered blow.

Touma narrowed his eyes, and straightened up from his semi-crouching position.  
As the punch came in, he simply put up his right hand in an open palm.

The second Kiyomi's fist was caught by Touma, everything just... stopped. All the strength that her ability gave her simply evaporated, no, more like disintegrated, upon contact. Her punch should have broken his wrist and sent him flying across the bank, but instead he was right here in front of her, holding her fist in his hand.

A thought suddenly drifted across her mind. There was an urban legend a few years ago, one that she had dismissed because of its sheer absurdity. But if the rumors and says that circulated the gossip of students and online forums were to be believed, there was a certain Level 0. A Level 0 that, somehow, beat both the city's first and third greatest Espers. The Accelerator and the Railgun, handily defeated by a person that couldn't even use an ability. Could this guy...?

She was suddenly reminded that a high school boy was holding her hand and just standing in front of her.

"..."

Touma looked down. His expression suddenly changed into panic and he let go of her hand, backing away.

"Oh! Sorry, sorry, sorry, please forgive me! I'm not a pervert or anything!"

Kiyomi raised an eyebrow in disbelief. There was no way a wimp like him could be the legendary Level 0.

* * *

Saten Ruiko stood at the entrance to a certain hospital, with a box of Chocolates in one hand and a gift basket in the other.

"Uiharu, if you're going to make me carry everything, you can at least help me with the doors."

"Sorry!" the girl replied. She was desperately trying to keep the her skirt from flying up in the sudden breeze. She awkwardly shuffled up the stairs to were Saten was and walked in front of her to open the large glass doors to the hospital.

The pair stepped inside, and Uiharu took the gift basket from Saten. The long haired girl smirked.

"So... white with strawberries today, huh?"

The Cyber Goalie blushed a bright red. "Saten!"

"What? It's not like I did anything, you were the one who walked in front of me. I didn't even use my ability"

The short haired girl pouted, then cry punched Saten in the shoulder. Saten just laughed. It was all in good fun and they both knew it, but there were times that the little girl seemed a bit melodramatic.

"So you're saying that something strange happened, but none of you can explain it? Sounds like what I'm dealing with here."

"'Yes' confirms Misa-"

Saten and Uiharu whipped their heads to see a pair of... Railguns?  
Both girls exclaimed at the same time.

"WHAAAAT?!"

* * *

**YES! DONE! FINISHED! NEW CHAPTAH! AHAHAHAHAH! Whew, that took awhile. I originally planned to release this on Christmas, but some issues came up and I had to bump the finish date. I want to take some time to thank you all for sticking with me through this, and I hope that this chapter was satisfactory. Big shout to BeePhenominal/IvoryFang who supported me through all of my struggles and helped with development of the OC character Kiyomi Yamakawa. This is probably gonna be the last chapter for this year, and hopefully, I can get the next chapter out by early/mid January. Anyways, Merry belated Christmas and a Happy NEW YEAR!**

**As always, please leave a very much appreciated review and PM me if you have any questions  
-ShadowShuriken**


	11. Chapter 10: That time of the Month

Chapter 10: That time of the Month

**IM BACK! AGAIN! Sorry, there were things I had to handle with work and school that prevented me from writing. But now that that is our of the way, I can now write another chapter! Yay! This chapter: secrets revealed!**

**[NOTE: I do not own Toaru, yada yada yada...]**

* * *

"Whaaat!?"

The Railgun looked up from her conversation with her sister to see Saten and Uiharu standing in the entrance lobby. Her reaction: instant panic.

_Oh shit..._ "Uhh, I can explain?" Mikoto tried weakly. Something told her that such a response wouldn't fly well with her friends. Last Order was pretty easy to explain away, but a twin would be harder...

Surprisingly, Saten looked only mildly surprised. Uiharu was the one having a near freak out.

"M-M-Misaka... Misakas? Wh-what? First was Last order... now... t-t-there's more? Such... busy parents...!" Uiharu's mind started to spiral toward the more fantastical possible explanations.

Misaka Imuoto opened her mouth to object, but was quickly covered up by the original.

"Nononomyparentsdonothavesexallthetime!" Misaka blurted out with a red face. G_eez, this is gonna be a tough one to explain..._

"So your the 'other' Misaka the little one was talking about." The railgun looked at the long haired girl in surprise.

"Wait, Last Order told you about the other Misakas? Where? When?"

"You know when there was that whole thing with Skill-Out? Accelerator let me stay over at his place afterwards. I also met Worst. Your sisters have such weird names. Gosh Mikoto, how many sisters do you have?"

Misaka 10032 managed to sneak her mouth around Mikoto's hand. "'Exactly nine thousand, nine hundred and seventy-three sisters' says Misaka with calculated accuracy."

"9973 sisters... such busy parents..." Uiharu mumbled, still in a daze. Mikoto sighed. _This is going to take some explaining..._

* * *

Touma sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. This really wasn't his day. Getting into a fight with a girl right after lunchtime of all things, on a weekend too. Fukiyose would kill him if she found out...

"So you're really a level zero?"

Touma looked at the girl sitting next to him. They both were sitting on a bench near a certain vending machine, drinking sodas they had not bought from the defective drink dispenser.

"Yeah, Imagine Breaker doesn't allow me to develop an esper ability. Something about my AIM field constantly getting neutralized, according to what I know about esper powers."

"But you still go through level development? Why is that?"

"Simple: they can't detect Imagine Breaker so they just assume I haven't established an ability yet. Which means I need to go through more development."

"But for ten years? That's nuts."

"Yeah, my teachers say I've gotten more conditioning then what most Level 5s get in their life. I sometime wonder what would happen if Imagine Breaker suddenly stopped working..."

Kiyomi paused a moment to think. "Honestly, I think you'd either become the next Level 5 or spontaneously explode from the AIM overload. But I'm not an expert so you should probably ask a teacher or something if you want a more realistic answer."

Touma tried imagining himself exploding. He'd seen plenty examples from Stiyl Magnus and Innocentious and quickly decided that such an event was not high on his bucket list of things to do. In fact, it shouldn't be in that list in the first place. The boy decided to change the subject. "So... Kuroko's roomate huh? how's that working out for you?"

Kiyomi rolled her eyes. "She complains a lot, she's always mumbling something about her onee-sama, and don't even get me started on her body pillow," The girl sighs, but then smiles. "All the same, she is a good friend. I mean, she always comes through when you need her, and you can trust her with your secrets even if she is a bit nosy."

Touma gave an expression that was a cross between a smirk and a smile. Even after two years, somethings never change. He had heard plenty of stories from Mikoto about her loyal friend and roommate on multiple occasions. He also knew that her dropkicks hadn't fallen out of practice either.

"At any rate, thanks for the spar! Sorry for being sudden."

"heh..." Kamoju laughed nervously. I wasn't like Mikoto hadn't done it before. "Not a problem, I guess... Just try not to scare me next time."

"Sure thing. Hey, we should head back, Mikoto is probably getting worried."

* * *

"Yes, clones. No, wasn't my idea. Yes, I care about them very much. No, Kuroko shouldn't know about this. Anything else?" Mikoto gasped for air as she ran out of breath.

Saten was typing furiously into her phone, taking notes.  
"One more: how long have they been around?"

Mikoto thought a bit before answering. "I don't know, I only discovered them two and a half years ago. I mean, I don't think they're that old, chronologically speaking."

The two turned to look at Imuoto, who was absentmindedly observing a bug crawl across the window of the "_Kamijou_" room. Uiharu was silently screaming a string of inaudible words of adoration from her mouth as she gushed over the clone with a face that could only be described as a child's reaction to finding a room chock full of presents on Christmas morning. Mikoto raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know what makes her worth drooling over, Uiharu. I'm pretty sure Last Order is cuter..."

"No, you don't understand," Uiharu replied, now hugging Imuoto like a teddy bear. "It's like you're TWINS! Omaigoodness! ***clears thoat*** Sorry, I have a thing for pairs, I find then SOOOO CUUUUUTE!" More hugging.

"Oookay... well, you might think that now, but seeing all of them in one room can bee really creepy."

As if on que, four more sisters walked into the room.

"Yeah... I can see what you mean," Saten said as she looked on at the new additions of Misakas.

Mikoto ignored her friend's comment and addressed the new arrivals directly. "You timed this didn't you." The Railgun sighed, the stress was starting to get to her. She couldn't wait for dinner at Kamijou's.  
"What do you need now? There's got to be a reason you're all here."

"'We came to see the bug' replies Misaka."

"Wat?"

"'The bug' clarifies Misaka as she points as the window to indicate her object of interest." At that, the clones all huddled in front of the window.

All over the world, Misaka clones suddenly absentmindedly smiled and giggled a bit. _"Hehe. Bug."_

_o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o Ten minutes later... o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o_

Mikoto let her body fall back on the bed. This day just kept getting better and better. First Kuroko, now the Sisters were out of the bag, what next? Hopefully nothing, she had just managed to get the clones out of the room and the other girls had gone off to see the comatose Shirai.

It was at this moment that Touma and Kiyomi walked in to the room. Together.

Mikoto sat up to look at the two. She turned to Touma and raised and eyebrow.

The boy's face fell and he muttered something under his breath.  
"_Such misfortune_... Ahem, It's not what you think Biribiri. She challenged me to a duel, you know, like you always use to."

"Kamijou..." The electromaster was starting to spark.

"Hmm?" It was Touma's turn to raise an eyebrow. What was she mad about now?

"MY. NAME. IS. MIKOTO. MISAKA!" The girl was about to set off a wave of electricity.

Touma stepped up to her in a panic and set Imagine Breaker on the Level 5's head. The sparks died out instantly, and Mikoto pouted.

"I thought I told you not to use that name in front of other people."

Once again, Touma made that sheepish face that he always made. She would never admit it, but Mikoto always felt bad for yelling at him when he made that face. For crying out loud, it was like he was a master at the harp her heartstrings made up. And he didn't even know it!

"Heh, sorry. Force of habit." The boy took his hand off her head.

Mikoto turned away to hide the color starting to appear in her cheeks. She turned her attention to Kiyomi. "So, a duel huh? Lemme guess: you lost."

Kiyomi scratched the back of her head in nervous response. "Yup. That right hand of his, imagination smash or whatever it's called, is such a trump card."

"Imagine Breaker, and trust me, I know. I remember the first time I fought him. It pissed me off so much that he could just take everything I threw at him and not have a single scratch."

"Really?" Touma interjected. "I always thought that you were mad because I wouldn't fight back."

"Well, yeah, there's that too. But I can't just blame his hand for my loss. He has skill in hand to hand, I have to give him that. Imagine Breaker only levels the playing field. To win, he's got to use his own skill to succeed."

"That's true..." Kiyomi said thoughtfully. "I've spent over four years in martial arts and I can say with some authority that he knows his way around a fight. How did he learn to fight anyway?"

"Let's just say that what's he's been through kinda warrants his current skill. The details are a bit... dicey."

"It's OK. Everybody's got secrets. Anyways, thanks for not getting mad at me for borrowing your boyfriend."

The blush that Mikoto had been fighting earlier returned with a vengeance.

"H-H-HE... HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!"

* * *

"Boyfriend... no he's not... stupid idiot... doesn't even know... three years..." The Railgun was muttering under her breath. She and Touma were riding the elevator up to his apartment.

"You say something Biribiri?"

"Shut up! Dense idiot!" The girl yelled as she kicked him out of the open elevator doors and onto the seventh floor. Touma barely had time to turn around before seeing the doors close with a click and rise up to Mikoto's floor.

"See you at dinner then, I guess..." the boy said to the ascending metal box. _What brought that on? Hmm... must be that time of the month... oh well. Such misfortune..._

Up on her floor, Mikoto inexplicably shivered. She chalked it up to her anger at a certain dense and completely blind idiot.

* * *

**That it! Sorry it took so long guys, I started this chapter back in February, and I was planning on releasing it along with at least another chapter the same month, but school just up and decided "Nope! Shadow, I want you to slave over your homework for a month or so!" And now here we are! But here's the good news: I'm going on spring break this week! That means I can focus on the next chapter and get that out to you guys! Next chapter: Tsundere, dinner, fluff, and a confession!? Find out next time!**

**Leave a much appreciated review and PM if you have any ideas or questions!  
-ShadowShuriken**


	12. Chapter 11: Power Plays

Chapter 11: Power Plays

**It's here... It's really here... ANOTHER CHAPTER! WOO HOO! I am on fahya! But less about me! More story! NAO!**

**[Note: I-I don't own Toaru, Copyright b-baka!]**

* * *

_Kamijou's apartment..._

Touma set down two bowls of udon on his table, one in front of his seat, and one in front of a visibly upset electromaster. Touma nervously sat down at his seat, eyeing the girl sitting across from him. To anyone else, Mikoto Misaka looked like a schoolgirl with a cute pout on her face. To Touma, she looked like an EMP bomb on a hair trigger.

The boy took a deep breath. _Tread lightly Kamijou, and just stay neutral. Nothing to provoke her, just small talk. Right, just talk. OK, play it smooth..._

He picked up his chopsticks and his bowl. Tentatively, he said the traditional opening meal words,  
"Itadakimasu"

Mikoto mumbled the same and picked up her chopsticks as well. Pout still on her face, she started slurping her noodles up.

"So... are you okay?" Touma tried to break the ice softly.

A silent nod.

_Liar._ "Worried about Kuroko?"

Another nod.

"I don't think you've got anything to worry about. I mean, I'm pretty sure the doctor can take care of it."

A nod again. Some more slurping.

"And we got to meet Kiyomi, which was nice."

Misaka mumbled a short agreement around a mouth full of noodle.

"Was everything okay with the sisters?"

A slight pause in the slurping. Slow nod.

_Ok, stay away from the clones for now..._ Touma ate some noodles then continued.

"You're not mad that Kiyomi mistook me for your boyfriend, right?"

_..._

_I probably shouldn't have said that..._

Mikoto spit her noodles into her bowl in surprise and looked at Touma incredulously. The boy inwardly cringed.  
_Good going Kamijou. That was smooth, smooth like SANDPAPER._

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA, ANY IDEA, HOW MUCH OF AN IDIOT YOU ARE?"

_Oh_ _boy, here it comes..._

"I'VE BEEN YOUR FRIEND FOR THREE YEARS, AND YOU ARE AN IDIOT!"

_So I've heard. More than once._

"IDIOT, IDIOT, IDIOT!"

_Add three more to the list.  
_

"AND DENSE!"

_I was wondering if you were going pull that one.  
_

"I MEAN, BOYFRIEND? DO YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL?!"

_No... although I think I'm about to find out.  
_

"THREE YEARS! THREE! AND YOU HAVE NO IDEA! NONE AT ALL!"

_About what?_

"AND I'VE MADE NO PROGRESS IN MAKING YOU UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!"

_Well, if you started making sense..._

"SO HOW COULD I BE SO OBVIOUS AND HAVE YOU STILL NOT KNOW?!"

_Know what?_

"DO YOU EXPECT ME TO JUST TELL YOU THAT I LIKE YOU!?"

_Wait... what?_ "Uh... Misaka?"

"BUT NO, YOU HAVE TO BE ALL STUPID AND DUMB AND NOT UNDERSTAND EVEN THAT!"

"Misaka?"

"SO HERE IT IS: I LIKE YOU! HAPPY?!"

"Misaka!"

"WHAT!"

"Did you just... was that... you like me?"

Mikoto was pointing straight at Touma, face red from the yelling. "YES! I MEAN, NO! YOUR NOODLES ARE DELICIOUS!"

_0_o; Uhh... Okay... _"thanks... I guess?"

"SHUT UP! I WANT ICE CREAM!"

Touma took a deep breath decided to ask the forbidden question. "Are... are you on your period?"

"CHOCOLATE GEKOTA!" The girl cried out before unceremoniously planting her face on the table and beginning to sob. After a good seven seconds of bawling into the poor piece of furniture, the mighty railgun looked up with tearful eyes at the boy. Feeling the hormone fueled adrenaline leave her, she realized just how much she had embarrassed herself and simply stared at the bewildered boy, begging for pity with her eyes.

Touma smiled at her three-quarters out of pity, one out of amusement.  
"Come on, let's get some frozen yogurt when we're done with dinner."

* * *

_The next day, at gym class_

Mikoto ran onto the field looking for her group. Quickly dubbed "five minus zero" by the rest of the school, it was widely regarded as the trump card of a certain highschool in the upcoming festival. It was expected that the team events would be dominated by this group and the opposing schools would be blown away by the sheer divide in power level.

Mikoto disagreed. Strongly.

Misaki lay sprawled out on the grass, gasping for air at the feet of a very disappointed Yomikawa sensei.

"Twenty-three push-ups in two minutes. Twenty-three. C'mon Shokuhou! Even Accelerator can manage more than twice that!"

Accelerator grunted in response as he did a set of sit-ups, legs pinned by Kamijou. The raven haired boy himself had finished a half kilometer run and was already drenched in sweat from the late summer heat. His shirt was soaked through and hugged his torso like a second skin, exposing his muscular body shape for all the world to see. Mikoto fought the urge to spontaneously punch the boy and cursed her hormones as she tried to not stare too hard.

"Ah, there you are Misaka!" Yomikawa called out, noticing the Third Rank trotting onto the field. "Go ahead and stretch then run a half-kilo warm up. When you're done, join Kamijou in the cages."

The girl wilted inside, but didn't say anything out of embarrassment in case a certain someone heard. She resigned herself to her fate and begrudgingly dragged herself onto the track and began her warm up.

Thirteen minutes after the beginning of her run saw her entering the cages. Much like their namesakes, the cages were a collection of hexagons exactly twenty-five meters in diameter and were designed for use as sparring areas. The floors were covered in a layer of semi-cushioning sport flooring not unlike a tennis court, and the edges were constructed from solid concrete rising a meter into the air save for the small doorway guarded by a simple wire door. Similar wire fencing extended another meter and a half above the concrete, effectively giving the look of a wire cage, despite it's open top.

Kamijou was already inside, performing stretches on the light blue floor.

"I still don't get why we have to train for sparring," The girl stated as she closed the cage door behind her.

Touma looked up from his stretching. "Don't ask me, I'm not the one in charge of PE. If you really want to know, ask Yomikawa sensei."

"Whatever. let's just get this over with." The Railgun opened up with a casual lightning bolt.

A negation from Imagine Breaker. It's owner began his advance.

"I wouldn't call this 'sparring'. This is more like a onesided curbstomp," Touma stated.

"Maybe, but of who?" Mikoto replied, throwing another bolt of electricity.

The boy ducked under the attack and put in a short burst of speed before reaching up and lightly bonking Misaka's head. "You, apparently."

The girl pouted. The boy smiled.

"C'mon, let's take this seriously. I know you can do better than that."

"Ugggh, fine." Misaka relented. Touma took a few paces backward and brought his hands up, one slightly further in front than the other, in a ready stance. Mikoto sighed once more before deciding to put her all into this practice session..

A few more rounds of fiercely intense sparring found the two combatants tired and exhausted. The metal fencing of the cages were so hot they were smoking, and the ground was scorched in various areas. Touma had to kick the fence gate open because it was too hot to touch. As the two left, the next sparring pair in line to use the cages looked at the damage and then back at the two in shock and were dumbstruck that the worst guy in their entire school had managed to spar with the rail gun at such a level and wasn't being carried out on a stretcher.

* * *

_Windowless Building..._

Aleister Crowley furrowed his brow. He was looking over the curious cases of Heaven Canceler's patients, and was so far stumped as to what had caused them to loose consciousness. And the fact that he was at a loss for a solution troubled him.

Aleister was a highly intelligent man, with a couple thousand years of experience to suite. As much as he was a planner of incomprehensibly grand and intricately complex schemes, Crowley was also a brilliant detective. Plans of his caliber required attention to detail, and that same attention allowed him to comprehend and understand mysteries that others could not. This coupled with his vast knowledge accrued from tens of hundreds of years meant that he was one of , if not the, most brilliant minds on earth.

So why couldn't he figure it out?

Most cases he could solve in less than a minute. The more complex ones, an hour at most. This was his second day on the task and he was still nowhere near close to solving the case. He had expected to call Heaven Canceler back the same day he phoned in the issue with an answer, instead he called late at night with only a few bits of information.

Both Kamijou's group and the sole case of Kuroko were knocked out by the same cause. Whatever it was, it wasn't of magical or scientific origin because it had knocked out Imagine Breaker. Both times, a spatial distortion would occur near the victims without displacing any mass, much like what had happened earlier that month, followed by an EMP pulse so small it was barely detectable. Neither would have been able to knock a person unconscious, but for whatever reason everyone near the distortion would pass out into a coma. But these small pieces of information still left so many questions unanswered.

Why did the Level 4 teleporter have a much more adverse reaction to the distortions than the other victims? What was causing the distortions in the first place? Why are there EMP waves following the appearance of a distortion? Were they directly affecting the victims? Or where they just byproducts of another force untraceable by machine? Aleister closed his eyes to think, something that he hadn't done in a long time.

After almost thirty minutes of trying to find any rational solution to his conundrum, Aleister open his eyes again being no closer to understanding anything then he was half an hour ago. The man closed the various open windows of information and statistics lining the wall of his tank. As he floated there, upside down, the man decided that the best and, quite frankly, only option was to keep an eye out and look for new developments.

Aleister, for the first time in a long while, felt apprehensive for the future. These events were too controlled and out of the norm to be natural occurrences. Whoever was behind this was attacking without warning and in a way that was impossible to guard against. And Aleister had a feeling in his gut that these distortions were only the beginning...

* * *

_A week later, in another Windowless Building__..._

The Conquer sat in a throne-like chair examining his wall of screens and displays. Half were covered in charts and graphs, and the others were filled with computer generated reports. The screens bathed his skin a dull blue tinge as he took in all the readings and reports, his hair shining like polished obsidian under the dim illumination. Looking over the information before him one last time, he brought his hand up in one smooth calculated motion and snapped his fingers.

The white dressed girl quickly and quietly entered the room, her long brown hair trailing in the air behind her. She stopped at the Conquer's side and knelt.

"Yes master?"

"Increase the frequency by twenty-three percent and fire the test. We are close, I can feel it."

"As you wish. It will be done immediately." The girl stood and left the room, leaving the Conquer alone once again. The man smirked as the hum of machinery in another room started up. Soon, his plans would become reality. Soon.

* * *

_Dinnertime, Touma Kamijou's apartment_

Touma dropped his chopsticks as a sharp pain suddenly exploded inside his skull. He barely had time to reach for his head before his consciousness left him and his body slumped forward, limp. His arms dropped to the ground, useless, and a distraught Mikoto Misaka had to save his unconscious head from drowning in his own bowl of ramen soup.

* * *

**Sorry this took so long! Vacation, School, work, it all just piled on and I had to drop some of my other activities in order to keep up. But, despite all that, I hope you all will be happy to know that as this chapter goes out, Ch 12 is already being written and will hopefully be out by the end of July. Well, it's late and I better get to bed. Cya in the next chapter!**

**As always, please leave a much appreciated review and PM me if you have any questions or suggestions!  
-ShadowShuriken**


	13. Chapter 12: Waking Nightmare

chapter 12: Waking Nightmare

**IM BAAAAAACK! More dark n' edgy stuff happens now! If you liked chapter six, you'll love this!**

* * *

Cold.

It was the first thing that registered in Touma's mind. The boy shivered and instinctively brought his arms around him in an effort to fight off the lack of heat that enveloped him. He opened his eyes and took a breath, the exhale visible in the frigid air.

The boy looked around at his surroundings, trying to work out where he was. The sky was grey with clouds, casting the world around him in a soft shadow. The air was filled with snow, the ground covered in a light blanket of it.

At another glance, Touma realized that the snow wasn't actually falling; they were suspended in space and time. Everywhere, in the air as far as the eye could see, the stationary flakes were just floating here.

With a feeling of apprehension settling in his gut, Touma ventured out of the alleyway he had found himself in.

The street we stepped out onto was desolate, devoid of any signs of life. Windows all smashed in, the asphalt of the road cracked and in disrepair, street lights broken or missing all together. The buildings surrounding him were destroyed beyond repair, some reduced to nothing more than a simple pile of rubble. In the distance, broken skyscrapers loomed in the distance against the cloudy sky, more than one looking like it was torn in half by the hands of some large monster.

Wherever Touma was, the place was a desolate and lifeless wasteland. Against his better judgement, the boy decided that staying where he was would do him no good. He needed to find a way out of this place, but hadn't the slightest idea how to do that. After some deliberating, Kamijou decided that his best course of action was to climb the top of one of the towers and get a grasp of his surroundings. Noting the general direction of the listless monoliths, he set out into the cold wasteland around him.

Pressing down the damaged streets through the desolate city, Touma looked around. The snowfall, or rather snowstill, mildly obscured his vision, the shadowy areas of the alleys indiscernible from his position in the street. The whole place gave him a worrying feeling, like he was being watched. But as far as he could tell, the city was lifeless. Nothing moved and there was no sound other than his footsteps through the soft snow and his regular breathing. Not even ambient noise like a soft breeze or any insects were there. Everything was silent, dead.

After a while, Touma found his way into what once must have been the commercial area of the city. Just ahead behind a stack of rubble, he could see the street open into what appeared to be a plaza of some sort. Rounding the debris pile, the boy looked out into the opening.

What lay before him seemed like it might once have been a major intersection between roads lined with storefronts along its sides, but what he saw was the remains of a battlefield. Massive craters littered the area, and scorch marks practically blanketed the scene. It was like two people had a duel here using every explosive and incendiary device they could get their hands on. Panning the area, something just to his right that stood out from all the grey and black caught Touma's eye.

It was a green piece of material partially obscured by the rubble dotted across the scene. Not quite fluorescent, but still more vibrant than the rest of the area.

As he made his way towards the green, he could see that the material was fabric, probably a clothing of some sort. Touma moved closer still, as this was probably the first proof that there might be people around. When he was about ten yards away, he broke into a panicked run.

There were white flowers imprinted in the green.

As Touma rounded the bend, the body of Motoharu Tsuchimikado came into full view. Or rather what was left of it.

The young spy's upper torso was mostly intact and lying face down on the ground, but what was supposed to be below the waistline looked like it had been torn off by some animal. A good chunk was missing from the abdomen, and what should have been his left shoulder was just a pile of mush. Touma, someone who had his own arms dismembered somewhat routinely over the past two years, resisted the urge to vomit. He lost that internal fight when he looked to the back of his friend's head, which despite the abundance blond hair, had clearly been crushed inwards from behind.

Touma turned around and dry heaved over a pile of rubble, his stomach trying to regurgitate its nonexistent contents. Anything that did come up was pure digestive juice and spit. A solid three minutes passed as the boy gagged and coughed vehemently in shock and disgust.

Breathing heavily, Kamijou collected his nerves as the bitter taste of bile settled in his mouth. Steeling himself, he turned around to face the mutilated corpse behind him again.

The body seemed to be old, the blood underneath having apparently dried up. Touma bit his lip and, after casting one last forlorn look at his dead friend, he surveyed the square once again. He immediately wished that he hadn't

Bodies littered across the opening that he hadn't seen before were scattered everywhere. A very deep sense of dread washed over him as he took the horrific view in. He made his way towards the center of the former battlefield, and with every step he took he recognized more and more people among the bodies.

Yomikawa sensei, dead amidst other Anit-skill personel. Shirai, leaning against a wall missing half her upper torso. Aogami, lacking and arm and a leg as well as half his face. Sogita the number 7, a gaping hole in his stomach. The list grew longer and longer every time he turned his head.

Dread, fear, anxiety, and despair swirled in a mind and stomach wrenching cocktail through his body. He stumbled forward in a daze and tripped over something. Touma looked down at what had toppled him over, and his mind almost completely lost it.

It was Mikoto.

She was half buried under a pile of rebar and concrete most likely thrown from a nearby building. Touma crawled over on all fours and frantically tried to remove her body from the rubble. She was mostly intact, save a few scrapes, but she was still very much dead. His vision blurring, Touma cradled her head in his lap. As the tears came falling down, the world around him began to change.

The cold changed into a smothering heat. The sky went from a dull grey to a disgusting shade of red. The snow that had been hanging in the air became ashes and began to fall. Touma's nostrils were filled with the smell of smoke and blood.

His bewilderment left him barely any room to process what was going on when he was startled by something grabbing his hand. He looked down to see that Mikoto, who had been dead on his lap not ten seconds earlier, was gripping his wrist.

"Go..." her voice was panicked and raspy. "he's coming..."

Before he could even reply, Touma was grabbed by the neck and hoisted off the ground.

Mikoto screamed.

Gasping for air as his windpipe was crushed, Touma was passed from one hand to another as he was turned around to face his assailant. The sight that met his eyes was baffling. The person at the other end of the hand choking him...

was himself.

The twisted reflection he saw smiled and leaned in.

"Don't worry," it wispered into his ear. "I'll come for it soon enough."

Touma's evil twin pulled back, grinning. Touma felt the one-handed grip around his neck tighten, fully closing off his airway. As the grip continued to tighten, Touma began to lose consciousness from lack of oxygen. He could barely see by this point and was feebly trying to claw the hand around his neck off. A few more agonizing seconds and he stopped, his arms limp at his side, hands twitching.

The last thing he heard before everything blacked out was Mikoto's continued screaming and the sound of his own neck crunching.

* * *

Touma bolted upright in his bed screaming bloody murder. A startled Mikoto jolted awake beside him. leaning in from the chair she had been sleeping in, she grabbed his shoulder and managed to get him to quiet down.

Touma panted, feeling the adrenaline coursing through him like liquid fire. He was drenched in cold sweat and in a very bad state of panic. His heart was racing a million mile and hour and it felt like it had just finished a dozen or so marathons.

Concerned, Mikoto moved from the chair to sit next to the distraught boy on his bed.

"Hey, you ok?"

Touma swallowed and slowly nodded. Mikoto, in spite of her usual demeanor towards him, enveloped him in a hug.

0-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o Ten minutes later o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o

Touma ran his finger through his wet hair. As he stood in the shower with the hot water running, he could hear a nervous Mikoto just outside the door pacing about.

The boy splashed his face with water and focused.

_What the fucking hell was that dream I had?_

* * *

**Well... This was LOOOOOOONG overdue. It's been like what, nine months? Honestly, FML. College has been a bitch and I wrote little bits here and there over the course the school year. Didn't help when my laptop kept crashing. Finally finished it off during spring break when i came back home, but honestly? It's been a pain not being able to write. I'm sorry that this wasn't out sooner, plz forgive meh -_-; ****I would say that hopefully ch13 comes out soon, but knowing my luck with computers and school that's kinda unlikely. But either way, I still plan to finish this fic.**

**As always, Please leave a very much appreciated comment and PM me if you have any ideas or questions.**

**-ShadowShuriken**


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